Kiss Me Goodbye
by Zane's Girl- Jo
Summary: What if Glinda came back to the tower room? What would she find? And how would she react? And, what happens when Elphaba and Fiyero end up with someone who knows an awful lot about their lives?
1. Chapter 1

**Kiss Me Goodbye**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena (For those not familiar with Italian: Disclaimer: Not Mine) **

**Summary: What if Glinda had come back after Elphaba's death? What would she find? And, what happens when Elphaba and Fiyero end up with someone who knows an awful lot about their lives? Musicalverse *RE-EDITED and FIXED***

**Please read and review. Your reviews help me write better stories!**

It was all over in a matter of minutes.

Once she was gone, the band of travelers took the broom and left.

Not long after, Glinda came back into the castle. Cautiously, she took the steps up to the tower room; the last place she had seen Elphaba alive. Opening the door, she saw the hat sitting on the cold, stone floor.

Alone.

"Oh Elphie." She cried, kneeling next to it, and picking it up. A small clink made her look up. The little green bottle that had belonged to Elphaba's mother fell out of the hat onto the floor. Still holding the hat, she picked up the bottle, and looked at it, tears trailing down her cheeks.

_"It was my mother's."_

Elphie's voice sounded in her ears, coming back to her from that long ago night in their dorm room at Shiz.

Back when they were innocent, back before corruption took hold. Before everything went sour. Before Elphaba was proclaimed Wicked, and Glinda groveled for her own ambition.

Before Elphaba died.

The sound of the heavy wooden door being pulled open startled the blonde from her memories. Gasping softly, she turned. The hat fell from her embrace as she climbed to her feet, running towards the black tapestry. Her best option was to hide. Peeking out from behind the material, she watched as the Scarecrow came into the room. He walked over, and knelt down in front of the hat. Picking it up, he looked around, making sure the coast was clear before setting the hair acessory aside. Then, he reached over, and proceeded to pound on the floor.

"It worked!"

In one quick move, he lifted what appeared to be a trap door-

Glinda's eyes widened. And with good reason.

Elphaba- alive and well and _certainly_ not a puddle of green goo like what had been told to her- poked her head out. After a moment, she lifted herself out of the hole, perching on the lip of the trapdoor.

"Fiyero! Oh, I thought you'd never get here."

Glinda, forcing herself to contain her silence, watched as the young green woman hesitated. She bit her lip, wanting to touch his face.

"Go ahead, touch, I don't mind. You did the best you could. You saved my life." Fiyero replied as she slowly cupped his cheek.

"You're still beautiful." She said, leaning close. He met her eyes.

"You don't have to lie to me."

"It's not lying… it's... looking at things another way." She said, repeating what he had told her that night in the forest, the night they had become one. Without responding, he got up, holding out a hand to help her up. Glinda watched as- once she was standing- they hugged, Elphaba nuzzling into Fiyero's chest.

"It's time to go." He told her, slowly pulling away.

"We can never come back to Oz, can we?" Elphaba asked, looking up at him.

"No." Regret filled his voice as he reached down and caressed her cheek.

"I only wish…" Elphaba trailed off, turning to hide her tears.

"What?" He asked, taking her shoulders gently.

Elphaba turned, tears in her eyes.

"Glinda could know that we're alive."

He gently rubbed his thumb against her cheek, wishing the same. Eventually, he said,

"She can't know, not if we want to be safe. No one can ever know."

Elphaba nodded; she seemed to be forcing herself to accept the fact that to her best friend, she would always be dead and , Fiyero moved towards the full-length mirror hanging on the wall. He turned to her.

"Come…"

Elphaba looked back around the room, and closed her eyes. Softly, she repeated what she'd told Glinda before everything had gone to hell.

"Who can say if I've been changed for the better? But…"

She sighed, gathering her tears.

"Because I knew you…"

Elphaba stopped, listened. The echo didn't _sound_ like her voice.

"Because I knew you…" The blonde whispered, remembering their last conversation. "I have been changed…"

Silent, Elphaba joined Fiyero. He placed the hat on her head, and took her hand. They turned to the mirror, watching as the glass began to swirl; solid turned to liquid.

Finally gathering her courage, Glinda stepped out from her place behind the curtain. It was now or never.

"Elphie?"

Elphaba and Fiyero turned at the voice.

They were caught.


	2. Chapter 2

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena **

**Thanks to whatthepho, ShortieJ, MassieBlock4eva, EfinityFabala, ****Beautifully Tragik, ****populardarling, Elphaba1fan, ReallyObsessiveWriter, Drop Your Oboe, MissBonhamCartersPoppet, and EvilAngelSoldHerSoul for reviewing 1. **

It _couldn't_ be possible.

Fiyero and Elphaba.

_Alive?_

"I... is it _really_ you?" Glinda asked, moving towards them, her eyes trained on Fiyero. "N… no. It_ can't_ be. You're... dead. _Both of you_. You're dead. Th... they_ killed_ you." She moved towards Fiyero, eyeing him. "Strung you to a… a _pole_ like a scarecrow and left you to die. And you..." Glinda turned to Elphaba. "You... melted. I _saw_ you. You _melted_."

The couple stayed silent, glancing at her. Slowly, the blonde reached out. Her fingers grazed Fiyero's cloth shoulder, and she pulled back, as though burned. She stared at him for several seconds, accepting that Fiyero hadn't died on that pole in the cornfield. Then, she turned to the green witch.

Tears swimming in her eyes, she reached out and rested her fingers against Elphaba's cheek. Voice choked with tears, she whispered,

"Elphie?"

The woman nodded.

_"Oh, Elphie!"_ Glinda cried, throwing her arms around the woman and hugging her. Elphaba tenatively hugged her back, surprised that Glinda was taking this so well. When the blonde broke the hug, she wiped tears off her cheeks and smiled at her friend.

And then slapped her.

Elphaba reared back, shocked.

_"How could you? Faking your death! You scared me half to death!_ _I hate you Elphaba Thropp! I absolutely hate you!"_

Elphaba stayed silent, too shocked to say anything. She just swallowed, reaching up to cup her cheek. She winced; the skin was red and sore.

"Gl... Glinda, _calm down_." Fiyero said, reaching out and takint her hand to stop her from repeating the process. The blonde wrenched her hand away.

_"No. Not until you tell me what the hell is going on!"_

"This would be a_ lot_ easier to tell you if you calmed down." Fiyero replied. Glinda backed off, crossing her arms over her chest. Both Fiyero and Elphaba seemed to relax at the sight of her calming down slightly.

"Okay, tell."

They looked at each other.

It was going to be a _long_ night...


	3. Chapter 3

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena **

**Thanks to whatthepho, ShortieJ, Pernicia, getsmart86, Happy Fae, ohmycarlisletwilight23, Kirei Yuki Tenshi, Lone Wolf8, Drop Your Oboe and Elphaba1fan for reviewing 2. **

"Explain. _Now_."

Elphaba sighed, accepting the tea Glinda set in front of her. After their tumultious reunion, the three had left the tower room and made their way downstairs. They now sat around the table in the kitchen, Glinda waiting for their explanation, Elphaba and Fiyero stalling for as long as they could. The green witch glanced at Fiyero, before starting.

"Glinda I know-" But she didn't get to finish.

_"Why did you fake your own death, Elphie? What, you didn't trust me? You didn't think I'd keep your past a secret? You had to go and... and... fakify your own death!"_

_"Glinda let me explain!"_ She shouted. The blonde fell silent, sitting down across from her friends. "It's not that I _didn't_ trust you. I trust you with my life. But, Yero and I need to..." Glinda caught the glance she threw Fiyero. "To leave Oz."

"_What?_ You mean leave... temporarily?" Elphaba shook her head.

"No. Permanently." Tears began to prick at the blonde's eyes and she took a deep breath to keep from crying.

"But... but _why?"_

"Glinda we can't stay. They'd find out eventually, and we'd be killed anyway. Even if you intervened." She said, knowing what Glinda was going to say. "That's why we need to get away. We need to leave Oz and never come back."

"Fiyero?" The blonde looked to the scarecrow, who had stayed silent until now. She seemed to be looking to him to tell her that it wasn't true.

"We have to do this, Glinda. We don't have any other choice." He said, taking Elphaba's hand. Their fingers laced, and Glinda saw the look shared by the two.

"But..."

"Please Glinda, don't argue. This is already hard enough, don't make it any harder. _Please_." Elphaba begged, trying her hardest not to cry.


	4. Chapter 4

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera **

**Thanks to ShortieJ and Elphaba1Fan for reviewing 3.**

"Do you have to go?"

Elphaba looked up, to see Glinda standing in the doorway of their room.

"Yes."

"But Elphie, at least stay another-"

"_No,_ Glinda. We can't. St... staying tonight even was _too_ risky. We have to leave. We have to get out of Oz before they find out Yero and I are still alive." Elphaba said, grabbing her knapsack, and leaving the room. Glinda followed.

_"But Elphie-"_

_"Please Glinda! We can't stay! It'll mean... death for all of us if we do! It's better this way, trust me."_ Elphaba said, turning and taking her friend's hand.

"But Elphie. How will I know you're safe?" Glinda asked, tears in her eyes. Elphaba thought, looking around, before removing a necklace of black diamonds. She held it out to Glinda, and dropped it into the blonde's hand, closing her fingers around it. "Elphie, where did you-"

"Yero gave it to me. It was his aunt's. She gave it to him to give to the woman he fell in love with, before she died. I've magicked it so all you have to do is whisper our names and it'll bring up whereever we are. You can watch us then."

"But I won't be able to talk to you. What if I want to-"

"It could only put you in danger if you talked to us. _Please, Glinda_." Elphaba replied, silently begging her friend to understand and agree that she wouldn't try to make them stay.

"All right. But I don't understand." The green witch pulled away, and went to the mirror. Glinda hugged Fiyero, before running and throwing her arms around Elphaba who hugged her friend close.

"Kiss me goodbye, my sweet." Elphaba whispered, kissing Glinda's cheeks. She pulled away, the sound of Glinda's sobs ringing in her ears. Sighing, she took Fiyero's hand, as the glass of the mirror turned to liquid. Fiyero kissed Elphaba gently, and the two stepped into the liquid.

_"Elphie!"_

Neither looked back. When the liquid returned to glass, Glinda found herself looking at her own reflection. She held the necklace to her chest, and wept.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera **

It felt like pinpricks all over her body.

Wind swirled around them, and light rushed towards them, blinding them both. Elphaba grabbed for Fiyero, and he pulled her close, she buried her face in his neck. Suddenly, he was ripped from her arms, and Elphaba found herself alone.

"Fiyero!"

Then, everything went black.

* * *

Her eyes fluttered open. Light assaulted her pupils, her irises dialating.

She blinked. Slowly, she raised her head, and looked around. She was in a strange city, people everywhere. Smog and noise assaulted her senses, and she sat up, looking around groggily.

"F-Fiyero?" She whispered. Her gaze landed on a young man a few feet from her. Slowly, she climbed to her feet, and hurried to him. As she knelt next to him, her eyes roamed his figure.

Sandy hair, tan skin, soft, pink lips.

"Fiyero?" She whispered. Then, she reached out and shook him gently. "Fiyero?" Her heart lept into her throat, and tears sprang to her eyes.

Oh god, what had they done? Left Oz for some strange city. And she'd lost her love in the process.

"Oh Fiyero, please."

She choked out a sob, as he moaned softly.

"Fiyero?"

His blue eyes opened, and fell on a pearl-skinned beauty with long, thick, hair the color of a raven's wing. Her dark chocolate eyes watched with tears dangling from the ends of her beautiful, upturned lashes. Her soft, pink lips were open slightly, and she let out a sob.

"W....what.....happened?" He asked, slowly sitting up and rubbing the back of his head. He probably had a bump the size of a Quoxwood root on the back of his head.

"Oh Fiyero!" Elphaba cried, throwing her arms around his neck, causing the two to topple back onto the dirt or grass, or wherever they were.

"Ow! Could you....get off me please?" He asked. Elphaba quickly scrambled back, afraid she'd hurt him. The two sat up, looking at each other. Taking a deep breath, Elphaba asked,

"Fiyero? Is it you?"

"Of course it's me. Who else would it be?" He replied, rubbing his head. Then, he met her eyes. "Who....who are you?" Elphaba looked shocked.

"Elphaba. It's Elphaba." She said.

"You don't look like Elphaba." He replied. "Elphaba's green."

"What do you mean, 'Elphaba's green'? Of course I'm green. Why wouldn't I be--" She said, looking down at her hands. What she saw, caused her breath to catch.

Instead of the normal emerald skin she always bore, her skin was as white as Nessa's had been. She saw a beautiful emerald manicure on her nails, and slowly, her eyes roamed from her hand to her arm, to her shoulders, which were bare, due to the top she wore. Then, she looked back at Fiyero.

"It worked. I'm degreenified. I'm--Fiyero. It's me. It's me! Trust me." She begged, moving closer to him.

"You can't possibly be Elphaba." He said. "She's--"

Before he could finish, she took his face in her hands, and kissed him. Gently, passionately, violently.

As their lips locked, images of their lives back in Oz flashed through their minds. Their childhoods, their first meeting at Shiz, the Lion cub, the Ozdust, Elphaba's leaving, Fiyero's engagement to Glinda, he and Elphaba running off together, their night in the woods, the fight between the two girls, Fiyero's death, Elphaba's spell, her fight with the witch hunters, her melting, being discovered by Glinda, finally leaving Oz.

When they pulled apart, Fiyero rested his forehead against Elphaba's.

"It is you." He whispered. She nodded.

"Oh Yero, I thought I'd lost you." He kissed her hair.

"Never love. Never."

When they finally broke apart, Fiyero got up, and helped Elphaba to her feet. She looked around, searching for her shoes. Once she found them, she grabbed the knapsack she'd packed.

"Now what do we do?" She asked. He wrapped her in his arms.

"We go find somewhere to stay."

"But where?"

"Well, this is a city, isn't it? There've got to be hotels somewhere." Fiyero said. He took her hand, and led her out onto the sidewalk.

And together, they made their way out of Central Park, and through New York City.

**I figured out the line breaks! FINALLY! *does victory dance***


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6. **

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera **

**A/N: Taye and Idina's daughter is.....a typical teenager. And she has a major disliking of Elphaba.......don't worry, this is tame compared to what happens in later chapters.......**

"Sho! Shoshana!"

Elphaba turned, to see a young brunette hurrying towards her and Fiyero.

"Excuse me?" Elphaba asked, once she got closer.

"Thank god I found you. We've been looking for you everywhere---oh hello. Who's this?" The woman asked. She held a young girl by the hand.

"First off, who are you?" Elphaba asked. The woman looked shocked.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten me, Sho. It's me. Remember? Dee?" Elphaba shook her head. "Idina. Idina Menzel?" Elphaba shrugged. The woman, Eye-deena, rolled her eyes. "God Sho, how drunk did you get last night?"

"I didn't get drunk last night." Elphaba replied.

"Sure you didn't, Sho."

"I'm not Sho, whoever 'Sho' is." Elphaba said. She held out her hand. "I'm Elphaba. Elphaba Melena Thropp." The woman looked from Elphaba's hand to her face, before laughing.

"Right. You're a character that I originated in _Wicked_ on Broadway." She said, releasing the child's hand. The girl looked about fifteen.

"I'm not joking. I'm serious." Still laughing, Idina took Elphaba's hand and shook it.

"Sure."

"I'm serious." Elphaba said. The woman stopped laughing when she caught Elphaba's glare.

"Oh."

"I'm Elphaba and this is Fiyero. We're.....we're new here. Do you...."

"....have any recommendations?" Fiyero finished. Idina sighed.

"Um....look, where are you staying?"

"We don't know." Elphaba said. The woman nodded.

"Come on." She said, taking the girl's hand and briskly walking towards a hole in the ground. She stopped when she didn't hear the others behind her. "Well are you coming or not?"

Quickly, the two followed.

"Um....Idina-"

"It's Uh-dina." The woman corrected.

"Sorry. Um, where are we going?"

"The underground."

"What?"

"The subway."

"Oh. What's the subway?" Idina stopped at the landing of the stairs, and turned to the two.

"You two really are from Oz, aren't you?" Elphaba and Fiyero nodded. "Well, it's a train, that you take underground to get from one point to another." Fiyero nodded, understanding. Elphaba just stared at him. Idina rolled her eyes.

"Never mind. Come on." And she led the two down the stairs. As the four settled back in the seats, Elphaba found herself being scrutinized by the girl.

"What?" She snapped, meeting the child's eyes.

"Nothing. You just.....look like a whore is all." The girl replied, just as snappy. Elphaba curled her fingers around the edge of the seat, trying to maintain her temper.

"Skyler!" Idina snapped. "I'm sorry. She's my daughter. She's sixteen and has a mouth on her if I ever saw one." Idina apologized. Elphaba shrugged, accepting the apology. "So, do you have any kids, Elphaba? Fiyero?" Idina asked, trying to make polite conversation. Elphaba cackled, causing others on the subway to look at her.

"Are you nuts?! Hell no. I'm not the motherly type. I hate kids." She said, elbowing Fiyero. "Nessa doesn't count, Yero. She was my sister."

"And I hate you, you.....you......raven haired skank!" Skyler snapped.

"Skyler!"

"Look who's talking." Elphaba replied.

"You little---" The sixteen-year-old started, standing.

"Sit down!" Idina roared, grabbing her daughter by the arm and yanking her back onto the seat. Disgruntled, the teenager sat back down, and glared at Elphaba from across the aisle. Elphaba returned the glare.

* * *

"Taye? Honey, we're back!" Idina called, pushing the door of their townhouse open. She let the others enter before she closed it. "Taye?"

"I'm in the kitchen, Dee." A man's voice called. Idina looked back at the two travelers.

"Come on." She said, leading them out of the front parlor, through the living room and dining room, and into the kitchen at the back of the house. Skyler brought up the rear. When she was sure Elphaba wasn't paying attention, once they got into the kitchen, she pulled back, and planted a good kick on the older woman's rump, before slipping towards the counter.

"Aiiie!" Elphaba shrieked, and turned, grabbing her rear and turning. She didn't see the smirk Skyler wore.

"What?" Idina asked.

"Nothing." Elphaba said.

"Dee, what have I told you about picking up strays?" Taye asked, pouring a cup of coffee.

"I told her it was a bad idea, Dad." Skyler said, getting herself a glass of juice. Dee rolled her eyes.

"They aren't strays--" She started.

"They look like strays." Taye stated, waiting for his wife to explain. Elphaba leaned back into Fiyero's embrace.

"The woman looks like a skank. She's probably a prostitute." Skyler said. Elphaba's eyes narrowed.

"Skyler."

"Now, who are they?" Taye asked.

"Elphaba and Fiyero-"

"From _Wicked_?"

"Yes, but--"

"No. From Oz." Elphaba said. Skyler choked on her drink, and burst out laughing.

"_Oz? Yeah right. What are you on, lady?_ Meth? Smack? Acid? Because we don't do drugs in this house." Skyler said, raising her nose in the air.

"No. I don't know what those are." Elphaba said.

"Skyler, go up to your room." Dee said.

"But Mom, I want to see Dad kick them out--"

"No one is going to kick anyone out until we get a good explanation, and we can't get a good explanation until you go upstairs! Now young lady!" Idina ordered. Grumbling, Skyler picked up her glass and left, giving Elphaba another good kick in the ass as she went.

"Sorry about that. She's usually not like that." Idina said.

"Dee. Who are they?" Taye asked.

Taye was a handsome man, beautiful black skin and laughing, dark eyes. Elphaba found herself transfixed by his handsomeness.

"Fiyero, Elphaba this is my husband, Taye. Taye, this is Fiyero and Elphaba." Dee said, introducing them quickly.

"Nice to meet you." Taye said. Gently, Fiyero pushed Elphaba forward. She moved to the counter and shook his hand.

"You too."

"Now what are they doing here?" He asked.

"That's besides the point." Dee stated.

"What point-" Taye began.

"The point is, they need a place to stay, and...I was thinking, since we have that extra guest room, maybe they could stay here until things get worked out." Dee said.

"NO HOW IN HELL!"

"Skyler!"

The sound of a door slamming punctuated Idina's statement.

"Look, we don't want to cause any trouble with your family. We'll just......go. The last thing we want to do is cause trouble. Come on Fae." Fiyero said, taking her hand.

"Thank you for letting us meet your husband. You're a wonderful couple." Elphaba said. And they turned to go.

"Wait! Taye..." Dee turned on her husband. He just shrugged. "Wait!" Dee called, grabbing her coat and rushing after them.

* * *

The front door closed behind the two, and the couple hurried down the street.

"Like I'd want to stay there anyway; that girl was a little--"

"Fae." Fiyero warned. She sighed.

"What do we do now?" Elphaba asked.

"I don't know, but whatever we do, we'll do it together. We're a pair, remember." Fiyero said, pulling her to him. She nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"A pair." She whispered, as their lips slowly met.......

"Elphaba! Fiyero!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7. **

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera**

**Question: So Elphaba is supposed to be Shoshana Bean?**

**Answer: Well, actually, where I was going with the whole "Sho" bit, was that Idina _thought_ that Elphaba was Shoshana from far away. You know how, if you see a person on the street from really far away, and they look like a friend you've known, and then you get up close and discover that it wasn't the friend? That was what I was thinking of with the "Sho" bit. Idina only saw the back of Elphaba's head, and from far away, she thought it was "Sho". ****And once she gets up close, she sees that Elphaba isn't "Sho" but...Elphaba.**

**Question: Then why would Idina believe her so quickly?**

**Answer: Idina's so quick to believe Elphaba because she kinda feels sorry for her, and kinda because she can immediately tell that Elphaba is not Shoshana when she looks at her. **

The young couple broke apart, and turned, to see Idina rushing towards them, pulling on a jacket as she did so.

"Wait! Wait!" She cried, finally catching up to them. "Thank…God….I….caught….you." She panted, doubling over.

"Yes, well, glad you could catch us, but we'd better get going." Elphaba said, nodding as they turned, and, holding hands, continued to walk down the sidewalk.

"Wait!" Idina called, following. "W…would you mind staying for a night or two?" Idina asked.

"No thanks. We know when we're not wanted." Elphaba said, nose in the air, much like Skyler had done earlier.

"Look, if this is about Sky…..well, she's a teenager, and Taye and I can take care of her--"

"What's the point?" Fiyero asked, pulling Elphaba into his arms.

Idina sighed.

"The point is, I don't want you staying somewhere when you don't know the area, and don't know anyone. I…..I'd worry about you if that happened." Dee said, reaching for Elphaba's hand. The woman pulled back.

"Sorry. Please. You won't be a burden, and I'd feel so much better if you stayed with us."

Elphaba's eyes narrowed.

"We don't need to stay with you to ease your guilt. We'll be fine." She said, turning.

"But--"

"No thank you." Fiyero said, as the two turned and started walking again. Biting her lip, Dee followed.

"But---I---" Finally, she said it. "I'd--be lonely."

The couple stopped, looked back at her. Idina allowed a small smile to grace her lips, before continuing. They continued on.

"I spend a lot of time with the other women from _Wicked_, and they're some of my best friends, but….well, Cheno's currently working on _The Fairie Path_, her new movie, and Eden's in a new show, Megan's on the set of _Law and Order: SVU_, and JLT and Kerry are over in England performing and Sho is working on her new album, and I hardly see them anymore, and well….. I get lonely. Please? Please say you'll stay. I….I can show you around New York, help you get to know it better." Dee said, grasping for one final straw.

The two stopped again, and Elphaba turned to her.

"You know this…..New Rock?" She asked. Fiyero gently laid his hands on her arms, and she leaned back against his chest, suspicious of Idina.

The woman nodded.

"New York."

"What?"

"New York. Not New Rock. New York. We're in New York."

"New York?" Fiyero asked, testing the word on his tongue. Idina nodded. He met Elphaba's eyes, and then glanced at Dee. "Would you excuse us for a minute?" She nodded, as Fiyero gently pulled Elphaba a bit further down the sidewalk.

"What?"

"Maybe we should take up her offer."

"What? Yero,_ are you crazy_?!"

"Fae, listen to me. She's the only person we know here--"

"Yeah, and we don't even know her _that_ well--"

"But one person, even barely known, is better than not knowing anyone at all. If we went anywhere else, we wouldn't be among people as kind as her."

"But Yero--"

"Fae, please. She's offering us a chance, at least until we can start our own home."

"But Yero--"

"Fae, trust me."

Idina looked up, to see them come back to her, a sour look on Elphaba's face.

"All right, Idina. We'll….." Fiyero gave his girlfriend a gentle squeeze. "…take…..you…..up on….your….offer." She said, choking out every word, as if admitting acceptance was the hardest task at hand.

Idina physically relaxed.

"That----that's great---"

"But…." Elphaba said, holding up a hand. "Only for a couple days, while Yero and I get steady jobs, and can find a nice little apartment that we can call our own. Got it?"

Dee bit her lip.

"Idina. _Are we clear_?"

Finally, the other woman nodded, agreeing.

"Clear. And thank you."

Elphaba nodded.

"Thank you."

Giving the two a smile, she led them back to the townhouse.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8. **

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera**

"Taye, set a couple extra places at the dinner table. We've got company." Dee said, as she, Fiyero and Elphaba entered the house and moved to the kitchen. While Idina entered the kitchen easily, Fiyero and Elphaba crept to the doorjamb and watched.

"Who?" Taye asked.

"Fiyero and Elphaba. They're going to be staying with us for a while." Dee said, looking back at the young couple.

_"WHAT?"_ Skyler cried, dropping the plate on the floor. It shattered on impact.

"Sky--" Dee sighed, going over and kneeling down, picking up the bigger pieces.

"_You can't be serious._ They _can't_ stay here--"

"It's not your descision, Sky." Taye said. His daughter turned, her dark eyes flashing.

"You're kidding. I live here too, I should have a say in who gets--"

"Enough Sky! Now go wash up for dinner. It's ready." Idina said, standing and dumping the broken pieces in the trash. Then, she grabbed the broom and dust pan and swept the rest of the pieces in the pan, before dumping it in the trash.

At this, Sky stalked to the sink, and quickly washed her hands. Once done, she moved to the table, and sat down, arms crossed.

Dee looked up at the two at the doorjam, and sighed.

"Well, dinner's ready. Have a seat."

Elphaba slowly stepped forward, but Fiyero gently took her hand, leading her to the sink.

"Yero, what--"

"Even in the Vinkus, we washed our hands before dinner. Besides, maybe you'd better see if your new skin can handle it."

"But I wasn't allergic back in--"

"I know. But try and see."

Fiyero finished washing his hands, and kissed Elphaba's cheek, before going to the table. Slowly, Elphaba reached out and turned on the faucet. Then, she poured some dish soap into her hands, and washed them.

The water was cool against her skin, and Elphaba found, once she'd dried her hands, that the pearl color of her skin was still there. Once done, she joined the others at the table.

As they sat down to eat, Taye and Idina found themselves asking all types of questions; questions with answers they already knew. In turn, Elphaba and Fiyero asked questions of New York.

"Where are we?" Elphaba asked.

"New York State. Well, the island of Manhattan, to be specific." Taye said.

"Island?"

"Yes, see, New York is made up of five islands or boroughs. Staten Island, Queens, Brooklyn, The Bronx, and Manhattan. We're on Manhattan Island." Taye said, listing off the islands easily.

"Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, The Bronx, and Staten Island." Elphaba said, listing them off slowly. Taye nodded.

"I'm done. Can I be excused?" Skyler asked, looking at her mother. Idina turned to her daughter.

"No. Finish your dinner."

"I'm not hungry. I lost my apetite."

"Sky--"

Her daughter didn't respond, just got up and headed upstairs to her room. The door slammed.

"I'm sorry about Sky, she's not usually-"

"Don't worry." Fiyero said.

* * *

"Okay, this is the guest room." Dee said, flicking on the light. She entered the room, Elphaba and Fiyero following.

It was a nice guest room; decked out in a pale auquamarine and cream. Cream-colored curtains hung from the window, and a beautiful aquamarine spread was on the bed. Obviously seaside themed.

"This is the bathroom." Dee said, moving into the adjoined room off the bedroom. She came back out. "The closet is over there--a walk in. There's an armchair in the corner near the window, a telephone on the bedside table. Mine and Taye's room is just down the hall and to the right. If you need anything, let us know." She told them, pointing out the door. "Oh, and help yourself to anything in the kitchen. So, any questions?"

Elphaba raised her eyebrows.

"Okay Yero, let's go. I'm starting to rethink this whole living arrangement." She said, grabbing her lover's sleeve and turning, trying to flee the room.

"Fae." She stopped.

"I know. I know. _Fine_." She sighed, and came back into the room. "Sorry."

"That's okay. I know this is a bit....strange.....Um, do you need anything?" Dee said.

Elphaba thought a moment.

"Um….would it be possible to fix a cup of tea?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9. **

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera **

Elphaba slipped into the bedroom, having finished brushing her teeth.

Fiyero looked up from the book he was reading, _Dreams from My Father_ by Barack Obama. He'd borrowed it from Taye, and found it quite interesting.

"So?"

Fiyero turned his blue eyes to Elphaba. The young woman was clad in her black nightgown, her long raven hair tumbling down around her pale shoulders.

"So what?"

Elphaba sighed, and sat down next to him on the bed. Fiyero marked his page and sat up.

"What's wrong, love?"

Slowly, he set the book aside and began rubbing her shoulders.

"Are we doing the right thing, Yero? Staying with them?"

"I don't know. I do know that right now, they're our only friends here. And they're willing to help us."

"I miss Glinda."

"I know. So do I." Gently, he placed a soft kiss on her shoulder, and wrapped her in his arms.

* * *

Glinda sat on the ground, in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection. Chistery had come and checked on her, as a last promise to Elphaba; look out for Glinda.

"Miss Glinda?"

"Hello Chistery." She sighed. "I guess I should go to bed. I'm exhausted. Goodnight." She said, getting up.

As she left the room, she forgot to take the necklace Elphaba had given her, along.

Chistery slowly picked it up and stared at it, rubbing the stones, imagining his mistress's face.

"Oh Miss Elphaba. Master Fiyero."

He had known Fiyero only a short time; he'd warned Fiyero of Elphaba being in danger the night at the cornfield.

Slowly, the diamonds began to fog and clear. An image of a man and woman in a room appeared in the center diamond. The woman said something, that Chistery struggled to hear. Then, he realized that the pair were muted; only the images were seen, the voices were not heard. His eyes widened.

"M….Master Fiyero? Miss…..Elphaba?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera **

Elphaba awoke the next morning, to find herself alone in the bed in the guest room. As she sat up, she heard the door to the bathroom open, and looked up to see Fiyero enter, fully clothed, hair still wet from his shower.

"Morning love." He whispered, leaning down and kissing her.

"Morning." She replied, savoring the kiss. She pushed back the covers, and got up, hugging him before going into the bathroom. "I love you." She whispered, closing her eyes and breathing in the scent of his shampooed hair.

"I love you." He replied.

As Elphaba took her shower, Fiyero pulled his shoes on, and then moved to the window. His eyes landed on a spacious backyard, with beautiful flowers in the garden.

Before he knew it, the bathroom door opened, and Elphaba came out, wrapped in a towel. Her long raven hair was dripping wet, and she smiled at him. Silently, she moved to the knapsack seated on the armchair, and pulled out her clothes. She let the towel slip to the floor, and pulled on her clothes, slipping into her heels. She grabbed her hair brush and began to slowly pull the brush through her raven locks.

Once she was done, she let Fiyero lead her downstairs.

It was summer. Monday. As was custom, Taye and Dee weren't working on Monday. Dee was between shows, and Taye was on break from _Private Practice_, until the season started up in September.

Skyler was yet to wake up; it was only seven.

So when Elphaba and Fiyero came downstairs and into the kitchen, they found Taye and Idina sitting at the kitchen table, talking softly. They stopped when the other couple entered the kitchen.

"Good morning." Fiyero said.

"Good morning. Did you two sleep okay?" Taye asked, as Idina directed them to the stove.

"Very well. Thank you. And you?" He asked, as Elphaba joined him. She fixed herself a cup of tea, and then the two joined the other couple at the table.

"We slept well. Thank you for asking." Taye said. The four ate in silence, before Dee turned to Elphaba.

"Look, I'm sorry about how Skyler acted last night. She just--"

"Don't worry about it. I've dealt with worse, _trust me_." Elphaba said. Dee nodded, and returned to breakfast.

"Um….." Elphaba started, turning to Dee. "What kind of job do you do?"

"Me? I'm an actress."

"A Tony-winning actress." Taye added.

"Tony? Who's Tony?" Elphaba asked.

"Not who. It--"

"It's an award." Dee said. "Musical Theater."

"Oh."

"Why? Do you want to try for Broadway?"

"Broadway?"

So Dee and Taye explained Broadway to Fiyero and Elphaba; the latter in turn had to explain it to the former. Elphaba didn't seem to understand the new lingo.

"I know Fiyero's a really good singer, but not me." She said finally.

"You never know." Taye told her.

"Um….they're having auditions for the revival of _Wicked_. Maybe you should try for it Fiyero." Dee said.

"What about you?" Elphaba asked.

"I originated….well….you….in the original Broadway cast." Dee said. Elphaba nodded.

"All right. When?"

"Next week." She said. Elphaba gave her lover a gentle smile, feeling slightly left out.

She'd find something, she was sure of it. She just didn't know what.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera **

**Question: What if Elphie and Yero go on Broadway?**

**Answer: Wait and see....**

Chistery clutched the necklace in his paw, and looked back to the door.

He needed to take it to Glinda. He had made a promise to Elphaba. To look after Glinda. He promised.

And he was going to keep his promise, but first, he was going to try to figure out if the woman in the fading image was Elphaba. And quietly, he moved to the Grimmerie, and began flipping through it.....

* * *

"Here."

Elphaba looked up from the book she was reading three days later. Idina stood over her, holding out a pair of jeans and a shirt.

"What are these?" She asked, closing the book and taking the clothing.

"Clothes. I figured you may need these."

"Why?"

"Well you can't wear the same things you brought with you forever, can you? And while that outfit you wore the first day we met is cute, it won't sustain you for long." Dee said. Elphaba nodded, got up, and hurried up the stairs to her room. Dee followed, waiting outside the closed door as Elphaba changed.

When it finally opened and Elphaba stepped out, Dee saw that the clothes fit her.

Elphaba wore a pair of light blue jeans, an Elizabeth and James black striped silk shirt, and her heels. Her long raven hair tumbled over her shoulder, down over her chest, and her dark eyes met Dee's.

"Well? Does it fit?"

"It looks like it." Elphaba said, looking down at the top and tugging slightly on it.

Dee nodded, pulled Elphaba into the hall, and circled her. She reached out, tugging gently on the waist.

"The waist isn't tight?" Elphaba shook her head.

"No."

Dee nodded again, then turned her attention to the top. She ran her hands along Elphaba's shoulders, and down her arms, checking the length, making sure the top wasn't tight on Elphaba. Then, she reached under Elphaba's arms, and slid her hands down Elphaba's sides; the woman jumped and pulled away.

"Hey! What the _hell_ are you doing?"

"Checking to make sure it's not tight on you. Is it?"

"No. It fits perfectly. Like--"

"--it was made for you?" Elphaba nodded.

"I know. I love Nordstorm's clothes. They always fit perfectly." Idina said. "And they're yours."

Elphaba looked up at her.

"What?"

"They're yours."

"But--"

"I bought them a few years ago, and never wore either, the jeans or the top, and so, when you said that you'd stay, I figured they'd probably fit you, so....they're yours." Dee told her, giving her a small smile.

"Really? They're mine? You really mean it?" Elphaba asked, shocked and touched that Idina cared about her enough to give her something that she was sure Elphaba would like. The older woman nodded. "Thank you." She said, going over and hugging her; Dee hugged her back.

Back in Oz, the only times Elphaba ever got clothes, was on her birthday or Lurlimas at Shiz, and even then, it wasn't a guarantee that she'd get anything. So to be given a set of clothing just because, was touching to the young woman. However, once Elphaba realized what she was doing, she pulled back, terrified.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to. I....I just....."

"Don't worry about it." Dee said, chuckling, and holding out her arms. "I'm open for hugs."

And for once, with a smile on her face, Elphaba let someone wrap their arms around her, and really, truly, hug her.

* * *

"Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"We're going shopping." Dee said, coming into the kitchen two hours later and grabbing Elphaba's hand. The younger woman had been fixing herself a cup of tea, but stopped when Dee entered.

"Why?"

"Because, you need new clothes, and I need to get out of the house. Unfortunately, I either gave most of my older clothes away or tossed them a few years ago because I wore them to shreds. The only reason I was able to give you those is because I still had them in the bag they were in, in a corner of my closet. But that's besides the point. The point is, we need to get out of the house and go shopping."

"Okay." Elphaba allowed Dee to drag her out of the house and down the street. They stopped a block from the house, and Dee held her hand in the air, calling out,

"Taxi!"

Instantly, a yellow taxi stopped in front of the two women. Elphaba looked at her as they climbed into the cab, and gave the man their directions.

"You have to teach me that."

"Sure thing. Next time we need to get a taxi, you can try." Dee said, smiling at her as she closed her door. Elphaba returned it.

"Where too, Miss?" He asked Dee.

"Fifth Avenue, please."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera**

**Sorry, I didn't do the thanks on the last few chapters. So:**

**Chapter 2: Thanks to Pernicia, Elphaba1Fan, getsmart86, Happy loving Hereos, Drop Yor Oboe, Lone Wolf8, Kirei Yuki Tenshi, and ohmycarlisletwilight23.**

**Chapter 3: Thanks to Elphaba1Fan.**

**Chapter 4: N/A**

**Chapter 5: N/A**

**Chapter 6: Thanks to Elphaba1Fan, ghostly bender, and Pernicia.**

**Chapter 7: N/A**

**Chapter 8: N/A**

**Chapter 9: Thanks to Pernicia.**

**Chapter 10: N/A**

**Chapter 11: Thanks to Elphaba1Fan.**

**Sorry about that, I normally have the thank yous done first, but lack of computer has caused me to be sloppy. But don't worry, it will NOT happen again! Now....**

"No."

_Snick._

"No."

_Snick._

"Uhh, _definitely_ not."

With a frustrated sigh, Idina turned her attention from the rack and moved towards Elphaba's. They'd spent the last three hours in Nordstorm's, and so far, they'd found several outfits that Elphaba would and could wear. She even ventured into light pink, which went nicely with her pearl skin.

"Did you find anything?" She asked Elphaba. The woman shook her head.

"Nope. Should we go?"

"No. Come on. We still need to find you some summer dresses." Dee said, taking Elphaba's hand, and leading her to the summer dresses. "And maybe an evening dress so you'll have something to wear when Fiyero takes you out."

* * *

The next morning, Glinda reached out for Elphaba's necklace. Her hand grasped nothing but air.

Her eyes snapped open, and she sat up, searching frantically in the bed for the necklace. It wasn't there.

Frantic with worry, she climbed out of bed, and began searching the room.

No luck.

Worried, she rushed downstairs in her nightgown to search the castle for the necklace.

Glinda didn't even think to check the tower room, or ask Chistery.

* * *

Elphaba pushed the door of the dressing room stall open, and handed the sales clerk three of the four dresses. In all, they'd bought four tops, three pairs of jeans, two sweaters, and a summer dress for Elphaba. Idina had indulged on Elphaba's urging, and gotten herself a summer dress as well.

"You don't have to do this."

"I know. I want to."

"But...how can you afford it?" Elphaba asked.

"I have money saved up from my high school graduation. I kept it in an almond roca can for a much needed shopping day." Elphaba nodded as they walked on.

"Wait, you saved money from your high school graduation? Why?" She held all three bags, and looked up when Dee moved to grab one.

"Because," Dee started, reaching for the bag. "I have....very....important....purchases.....to....make." Dee said, tackling Elphaba, and wrenching the bag from her hands. Elphaba in turn, wrenched the bag back, and held it out of reach. The girls then looked at each other, before breaking into laughter. Elphaba's cackle echoed in the store, as Dee's throaty giggle followed. When they finally calmed down, Elphaba held the bag out to her, as she held the other two behind her back, a smile on her face. Sighing and returning the smile, Idina took it.

"So, what kind of dress do you want?" Dee asked, linking arms with Elphaba.

"I don't know. Now that my skin's white instead of green, I guess that means I can wear more colors, right?" Elphaba looked at her.

"Right."

They were so engrossed in their conversation, that they didn't notice anyone trying to catch up with them, until they heard the voice.

"Idina!"


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera**

**Thanks to ohmycarlisletwilight23 and Elphaba1Fan for reviewing 12.**

"Idina! Dee! _Idina_!"

The girls stopped, and Dee turned, looking over her shoulder. Elphaba followed, to see a woman hurrying towards them.

As she got closer, the two saw that she had long, thick chocolate brown hair, piercing brown eyes, soft, full, pink lips, and a long, slender nose. She was dressed in a pair of dark washed skinny jeans, red peep toe heels, and a brown vintage style t-shirt. A light brown plaid newsboy hat was on her head.

"Idina!"

"Sho!" Dee cried, letting go of Elphaba and throwing her arms around the woman, once she got close enough.

"Hey, how have you been?" Idina asked, pulling away slightly, her arms still around Sho's shoulders.

"I've been great. Just finished my new album. It'll be in stores in November." Sho said, kissing Dee once on each cheek and once on the lips. "What about you? How're Sky and Taye?"

"They're doing great. I'm between shows, so I have some time off, which is great, cause usually I don't." Dee said. Finally, Sho turned to Elphaba, who stood watching the exchange silently. It made her think of her and Glinda.

"Who's this?"

"Oh, um...Sho, this is....." Dee started.

"Ela. I'm Ela." Elphaba said, holding out her hand. Sho took it and shook it firmly.

"Nice to meet you, Ela. I'm Sho."

"Nice to meet you." The two women nodded to each other, and then broke contact. Silence reigned, until Idina spoke up.

"I'm Dee." She interjected, causing the other two to laugh.

"Yeah, you are." Sho said. "So, what are you up to?"

"Oh, shopping." Dee said, raising the bag and pointing to it. "Ela and I were going to look for an evening dress for her."

"Really?" Sho asked. "What's the occasion?"

"Just in case Yero wants to take her out sometime." Dee said, linking arms with Elphaba.

"Yero? Who's Yero? Your beau?" Sho asked, smiling at the girl. Elphaba blushed.

"Yes." Then, she broke out laughing.

"Is he cute?"

"Don't even think it Sho. He's taken." Dee said, glancing at the woman. Sho looked at her.

"What? It's not like I'm gonna take him. I just want to know if he's cute." She replied, turning back to Elphaba. "Is he?"

Elphaba nodded.

"He's a hunk." She said, eyes dancing.

"Well, then let's start looking. You're going to need to look gorgeous when he takes you out." Sho said.

* * *

_Snick._

_Snick._

_Snick._

_Snick._

"How about this?" Sho asked, pulling out a Suzi Chin Maggy Boutique Stretch Charmeuse Sheath dress. Elphaba wrinkled her nose.

"No."

Sho shrugged and put it back.

"What about this one?" Dee suggested, holding up a BCBGMAXAZARIA print matte jersey dress.

"Not unless I want to be sick. Just looking at that makes me want to vomit." Elphaba said.

"Really?" Dee asked, looking at it.

"I agree." Sho said, making a face.

* * *

Finally, the girls picked a good number of dresses, and began narrowing them down.

"Well?" Elphaba asked, stepping out of the stall. The girls shook their heads. Elphaba turned to the mirror.

She looked like a fluffy pineapple.

As she hurried back in to change, "Don't even say it, Dee."

"I won't."

They had decided on getting three dresses, one was the JS Collections Ribbon Trim Mesh dress, which looked quite cute on Elphaba.

"Well?"

"Cute." Sho said.

And Elphaba did look cute. She was dressed in Ruby Red Sequin Trim Aqua colored Mesh Dress. Sho had found it in the Juniors, and suggested Elphaba try it on. It came to the middle of her calf, and the color looked pretty with her pearl skin and raven hair.

"Cute? That's it?" Elphaba asked.

"No. Get it. There, that's it." Sho said. Elphaba rolled her eyes, and laughed, causing the girls to join in.

"Okay. So, anything else?" Elphaba asked.

"Well, you've got two spagehetti strapped dresses here. You need a halter, one that's strapless, and of course, a little black dress. Because every girl needs a little black dress." Dee said, batting her eyes at them. The other two laughed. Elphaba returned to the dressing room stall, and changed.

When she came out again, she was in an Adrianna Papell Charmeuse & Chiffon Babydoll Halter Dress, that was a rich forest green. The green made her dark hair even darker, and both girls smiled at her as she tossed her hair in a very Glinda fashion.

"Get it."

* * *

"So, all you need now is a little black dress." Dee said. The three had decided on a watermelon pink Adrianna Papell Beaded Strapless Party Dress that looked nice on Elphaba.

"I think I have one. I'll be right back." Elphaba said, slipping back into the stall. She had tried on one black dress, a Lauren by Ralph Lauren 'Raleigh' Halter Dress that looked to be a party dress. Sho had held onto it, just because she knew that when Dee saw whatever Elphaba was changing into, that she wouldn't be able to decide. They had also talked Dee into getting a ABS by Allen Schwartz Ombré Gathered Silk black/buttercup colored Dress for herself. It was strapless, and both agreed that it would accent Idina's long legs. Most of the clothes were on the bargain racks, which made Elphaba feel a little better, but not much. She kept trying to put certain articles of clothing back on their respected racks; Dee kept catching her.

"Okay, what do you think?" Elphaba asked, pulling the curtain back and stepping out.

On her body, was a gorgeous Mary L Couture Bias Cut Gown, in sheer, deep black. The thin spagehetti straps held up the paisley printed black laced bodice; the skirt hung loose and beautiful on her body. Every curve was high-lighted, and it made Elphaba's pearl skin look even paler.

"Well?"

"Wow."

That one word was all the girls could manage. The dress looked beautiful on her.

"Is that good or bad?" Elphaba asked with a nervous smile. Suddenly, both got up and hugged her.

"Yero is going to _flip_ when he sees you!" Dee cried.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera**

**Thanks to Elphaba1Fan for reviewing 13. **

**A/N: The link to the dress Elphaba picks in 13 is in my profile, if you want to see it.**

Once the three girls finished shopping, they headed downtown to a small cafe for lunch.

"So, Ela, what do you do?" Sho asked. Elphaba looked at Dee.

"Um, actually, Yero and I just moved here. He's pretty talented and is planning on auditioning for the revival of _Wicked_, and.....I'm not sure what I'm planning on doing. Actually, I have a degree in Political Science. But, I haven't been able to find a job yet."

"They're staying with Taye and I until they can find an apartment at a reasonable price." Dee said.

"You should try WAC."

"WAC?" Elphaba asked.

"Westbeth Artists Community."

"Oh. All right. We'll look into it."

* * *

Chistery flipped through the Grimmerie.

Nothing so far.

Sighing, he pushed the book aside, and examined the stones. Slowly, his mind wandered to when Elphaba had recieved the necklace.

_"Yero? What's this?" _

_"What does it look like? It's a necklace." _

_"I know that. But....who's is it?" _

_"Yours." _

_Elphaba turned her gaze to him. _

_"What?"_

_"It's yours. I bought it back when I was at Shiz, not long after the Lion Cub incident, and was going to give it to you the day you left, but never got the chance. It was my aunt's, and she gave it to me to give to the woman I loved. When I got to Shiz, it was stolen, and I later found it at a pawn shop outside Shiz and bought it back.__" He said, taking it from her and placing it around her neck, clasping it in the back. _

_"Why did you hold onto it? Why didn't you give it to Glinda?"_

_"Because I love you. And....I knew that....someday....we'd be together again." _

_"Thank you. I love it." _

_And they kissed. _

_Soon, however, their kissing turned to more, and they slowly, gently, passionately melted into one. _

_The flapping of wings woke the two up four hours later. Both looked up to see Chistery. _

_"Chistery?" _

_"Miss Elphaba! Miss....Nessa...Rose....danger...."_

"Oh.....Miss.....Elphaba.....Master F....Fiyero....." He sighed, and looked up, to see the diamonds fogging and clearing. The image that came up was one of three women at a small cafe table eating lunch.

Elphaba sat between the two brunettes. Or, Chistery assumed it was Elphaba.

* * *

When the girls finished, they went their separate ways.

"I like Sho. She's nice. A little intimidating at first, but overall fun to be around." Elphaba said, as she and Idina linked arms and headed down the street.

"Like you? You were intimidating when we first met." Dee said, as they stopped to catch a taxi.

"I was not." Elphaba said, stepping out to use the skills Dee had taught her.

"Yes you were."

"No I wasn't---Taxi!" Elphaba called. When none stopped, she handed the bags to Dee.

"Where are you going, Ela?"

"You'll see." Elphaba said, stepping into the street. She got about two feet into the street before she raised her arm, and snapped her fingers, calling, "Taxi!"

Instantly, three stopped around her.

"Come on Dee."

Stunned, Idina joined Elphaba in the closest one.

As they rode back to the house, Dee turned to Elphaba.

"Okay, you're becoming a New Yorker. Hell, you already are one."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15. **

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera**

**Thanks to Elphaba1Fan and ohmycarlisletwilight23 for reviewing 14.**

**A/N: Elphaba and Fiyero get their birth certificates in this, and they have different names on those, on those they go by Eliana and Fredrick, but that "Elphaba" and "Fiyero" are nicknames that their friends gave them back in college because they both loved the book so much, and identified with the characters. **

Laughing, the two women hurried into the house, closing the door behind them.

"Oh, you're back?" Taye called. He and Fiyero were in the kitchen talking.

"Yes." Idina called.

"How was shopping?"

"Great. We'll tell you more when we put the stuff away."

Quickly, the two rushed upstairs, put everything away, and came back downstairs, going into the kitchen.

"Hey love." Taye said, kissing Dee gently. "Sky's at the mall with her friends."

"Okay."

"Hey Yero." Fiyero looked up, to see Elphaba in jeans and a blouse.

"Hey."

"Doesn't Ela look great?" Dee asked.

"Ela?" Taye repeated.

"Yeah. Elphaba's nickname." He nodded. "Oh, and she met Sho today."

"Really?"

"Sho?" Fiyero asked, as Elphaba joined them, perching on his lap on the barstool at the island.

"Shoshana Bean. She's a friend of Dee's." Elphaba said, taking Fiyero's cup of coffee and taking a sip. She made a face and handed it back. "Ugh. How can you drink it with that much cream?"

"Same way you can drink your's so bitter." He replied. She rolled her eyes.

"So, Fiyero, where did you two head to today?" Dee asked.

"The courthouse. Got mine and Fae's birth certificates, social security numbers, and--"

"--a bunch of other documents." Taye said, pulling out the manilla envelope. He handed it to Elphaba, who pulled out the papers.

"What names did you use?" Dee asked.

"Our own, what do you think?" Elphaba asked.

"The names of fictional characters?" She asked.

Elphaba nodded.

"No. No one would believe us, unless they were nicknames." Fiyero said, handing her a piece of paper. Elphaba stared at it.

Eliana Mackenzie Thorne.

"Eliana?"

"It's Jewish." Dee said.

Elphaba looked at Dee.

"How do you know?"

"Because my name is Jewish. Well, my name is the variant of Adina. But, same difference, my parents just replaced the 'A' with the 'I'." Dee shrugged.

Then, Elphaba turned to Fiyero's.

Fredrick Jason Tipton.

"Right. What's the story? Oh, and do you have to call us these now?" Elphaba asked, turning to Taye.

"No. We'll still call you Elphaba and Fiyero, but everyone else won't." He said.

"And the story is that we both loved the novel _Wicked_ in college, so our friends called us...Elphaba and Fiyero, and the nicknames stuck." Fiyero said, squeezing her gently.

"Oh. Okay. I can live with that."

"Can you, Ela?" Dee asked.

"No." Elphaba said, closing her eyes briefly, and then looking at Dee. "I can only live with it for so long."

Dee reached over and patted her knee.

"You'll get used to it."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16. **

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera**

**Thanks to ohmycarlisletwilight23 for reviewing 15. **

**A/N: I had to either decide between Frederick or Francis, and frankly, I hate the name Francis, so Fiyero's name is Frederick, I can live with that. If I'd put Francis, it would have driven me nuts. **

**A/N: _Gorgeous_ belongs to Dee.**

Elphaba stretched out on the guest bed later that night after dinner. She'd borrowed Dee's mp3 player, and was skimming through the songs on it. Finally, Elphaba stopped on one that looked interesting.

_Gorgeous. _

She hit play, and listened, before realizing that it was Dee's voice. Softly, Elphaba began to sing along.

_"In a perfect world, _

_In another time,_

_In a far off place, _

_We wouldn't need to justify_

_Everything we are,_

_And all that we believe _

_We can finally be _

_Whoever we both want to be."_

"What is that you're singing?" Elphaba looked up, taking the phones out of her ears, to see Fiyero leaning against the doorway, watching.

"Nothing. Just.....listening to Dee's music. It's one of her songs. Here, want to listen?" Fiyero shook his head.

"That's okay love." He whispered, joining her on the bed. Elphaba hit the pause button and turned it off, then wound the phones around the player and set it on the nightstand. She turned back to Yero, noticing the flyer in his hands.

"_Wicked: The Musical_? Are you going to try?" He nodded.

"Yeah, I figure I should have a shot, seeing as it's our story." He said, rubbing her shoulders. "What about you?"

"I don't know. I guess I could always be a waitress." She curled into his arms.

"You'll find something love. It'll just take time to discover your talent." He said, kissing her. She nodded, and lay back, pulling him into her, bringing his lips to hers. Slowly, the kiss deepened, and they soon found their hands wandering. Fiyero's hands ran under the top she wore, and across her taut stomach.

"Oh Yero." She whispered, breathless.

* * *

Glinda sank onto the bed later that night, sobbing.

She'd lost the necklace Elphie had given to her.

"Elphie'll never forgive me." She cried, throwing herself into the pillows, sobbing.

* * *

Idina stopped outside Fiyero and Elphaba's bedroom door. She raised a hand to knock, and stopped when she heard the softly uttered words coming from the bed.

"I love you, Yero."

"I love you, Fae."

"Always?"

"Forever and for always, love. I promise."

Smiling, Idina passed by the door, and headed into her room. Taye was pulling on his pajama top, the buttons undone, his handsome chest showing. Silent, Idina moved over and gently ran her hands up her husband's chest.

"Did you tell Elphaba and Fiyero goodnight?" She shook her head.

"No. They were....busy."

"Making love?" He asked. She chuckled.

"No. Just.....talking."

"Talking?"

"Umhmm. Ela asked Fiyero if he'd love her always, and he said that he would always love her, forever. He promised."

"It sounds like Elphaba and Fiyero are truly in love."

"Like us, Taye?" He nodded.

"Like us. If not more so."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera**

**Thanks to Elphaba1Fan for reviewing 16.**

Two days later, Idina came downstairs to find Elphaba at the island, sipping a cup of coffee.

"Morning." She whispered. Elphaba was dressed in a short brown plaid skirt and blue tank top, her long raven hair pulled up in a ponytail. She wore a pair of Dee's old stilettos; apparently she and Dee were the same shoe size.

"Morning Dee." Elphaba replied, pouring her a cup of coffee and handing it to her.

"Thanks." Elphaba nodded. The two silently sipped their coffee, until Skyler came downstairs, in shorts, a halter, and flip flops. She had her sunglasses on, and glared at Elphaba, before turning to Dee.

"Mom, Neveah, Avery, Kylie, Chloe and Madison invited me to go to the movies. Is it okay if I go?" Dee sighed, and finally nodded.

"When are you going to be home? And where are you going to go after?"

"We were gonna go back to Maddie's for a sleepover. Her mom said it was okay."

"All right. But call me when you get to Maddie's."

"I will. Thanks." She said, leaving.

"Maddie?" Elphaba asked.

"One of Sky's friends. Madison is Stephanie's daughter."

"Oh. Who's Stephanie?" She asked, finishing her coffee and rinsing the cup in the sink.

"Stephanie J Block. She's a friend of mine and a fellow..." Dee stopped, eyeing Elphaba. The woman waited. ".....you."

"Oh."

* * *

Two days passed.

Chistery had hit only dead ends on who the woman in the images was. However, he was able to get sound on it.

Turns out an old spell in the Grimmerie produced sound in an object. Now, the monkey sat watching an image in the stone; two women in a kitchen in a house, talking softly.

Chistery watched closely, studying the raven head's mannerisms. Finally, after she bit her lip, it snapped, and Chistery gasped.

"Miss....Miss....Elphaba!"


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera**

**A/N: The song Elphaba sings is _Put Your Records On_ by Corrine Bailey Rae. **

"_Three little birds sat on my window,_

_And they told me I don't need to worry_

_Summer came like cinnamon,_

_So sweet,_

_Little girl's double-dutch on the concrete."_

It had been almost a week since Fiyero and Elphaba had run into Idina. They had gotten used to being around each other, all except Skyler, who still hated Elphaba; it only rivaled Glinda's hate when she and Elphaba had moved into their dorm together.

"_Maybe sometimes, _

_We got it wrong but it's all right._

_The more things seem to change (ooh woo)_

_The more they stay the same_

_Oh, don't you hesitate._

_Girl, put your records on,_

_Tell me your favorite song_

_Sapphire and faded jeans_

_I hope you get your dreams,_

_Just go ahead, let your hair down._

_You're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow."_

She felt that she had no talent, and didn't want to spend time in the house watching TV or reading. So the young woman took to cooking. After all, Idina _had_ said that they could help themselves to anything in the kitchen.

"_Blue as the sky, sunburnt and lonely,_

_Sipping tea in the bar by the roadside, _

_(just relax, just relax)_

_Don't you let those other boys fool you,_

_Got to love that afro hairdo..._

_Maybe sometimes we feel afraid but it's all right_

_The more you stay the same, the more they seem to change_

_Don't you think it's strange?_

_Girl, put your records on,_

_Tell me your favorite song_

_Sapphire and faded jeans_

_I hope you get your dreams,_

_Just go ahead, let your hair down._

_You're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow."_

And after days of asking permission for the most mundane things- from getting a glass of water, to being able set the table for dinner- Elphaba was taking liberty of Dee's saying.

She was helping herself to anything in the kitchen.

Mainly, the kitchen itself.

This afternoon, while Skyler was at the mall with her friends, Taye and Fiyero at a small cafe on the Broadway strip after stopping at a DMV, and Idina at a bookstore, Elphaba took to trying recipes she'd found in one of Idina's cookbooks.

"_Twas more than I could take,_

_Pity for pity's sake,_

_Some nights kept me awake, _

_I thought that I was stronger_

_When you gonna realize, _

_That you don't even have to try any longer?_

_Do what you want to."_

Soon, the kitchen smelled of delicious treats, soups and breads, cakes and cookies. As Elphaba cooked, she began to sing along to the radio, which she'd turned on to keep her company. She soon found herself singing along, to an imaginary audience.

And it was one specific song and all these scents that greeted the four returning from their various activities.

Taye opened the door, and instantly silenced the group, at the sound of the voice coming from the kitchen.

"_Girl, put your records on,_

_Tell me your favorite song_

_Sapphire and faded jeans_

_I hope you get your dreams,_

_Just go ahead, let your hair down."_

"Who is that? Dad?" Skyler asked.

"I don't--"

"Fae."

"Who?"

"Ela." Idina said, using her nickname for the woman.

"Who?"

"Elphaba." Fiyero told the teen.

"Oh."

"_Girl, put your records on,_

_Tell me your favorite song_

_Sapphire and faded jeans_

_I hope you get your dreams,_

_Just go ahead, let your hair down."_

By the time Elphaba had gotten to the last verse of the song, the group had moved to the kitchen and now stood not far from the young woman, listening to her gorgeous soprano soar through the room.

"_Oh, you're gonna find yourself somewhere, some-"_

When she finally turned around, a bowl of brownie batter and spoon in her hands, she was so engrossed in her song that she didn't notice the others until she was face to face with them.

"_-how."_

The last note died on her lips, and her eyes widened. She quickly set the bowl and spoon on the island counter, and moved to the radio, turning it off with a click, ending the song mid-note.

"Wh…..what are you…..all doing…back?" She asked, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and refusing to meet their eyes.

"Um….we live here?" Skyler said.

"Right."

"Elphaba, did you….do all this?" Idina asked.

"Y….yes. I…..I couldn't find anything else to do, so I…." Elphaba said, tucking another strand of hair behind her ear as she nervously reached out and gently pushed a plate of gingersnaps towards Idina. "I….I took liberty of the….kitchen." She whispered the last word, a bouquet of rose rushing to her cheeks.

Idina sighed.

"I'm sorry. I'll never do it again. I promise." The woman said.

Idina held up her hand.

"It's not that. You can use the kitchen whenever you want. It's just…..I never thought to ask if you wanted to come with me to the bookstore today. I'm sorry."

"Oh don't worry about that. I had plenty to do." Elphaba said.

"I can tell." Dee replied, giving the woman a smile. Elphaba returned it.

"Yeah, I'll say. You made enough to feel the U.S. Navy, Army, Air Force, and National Guard combined." Skyler said, sarcasm in her voice. Elphaba winced, and lowered her head.

"Skyler." Taye warned.

Once the two women had reached an understanding, Taye spoke up.

"Elphaba, were you…..singing along to the radio?"

Another bouquet of rose raced to her pale cheeks, and she nodded.

"I've told her before that she has a beautiful voice, but she won't listen to me." Fiyero said, leaning against one of the counters. Elphaba lowered her head, embarrassed.

_"Yero."_ She whispered. He chuckled softly at his girlfriend.

"Hey, it's _true_. You have the voice of a nightingale." Fiyero said, going over to the woman and wrapping her in his arms. "My beautiful Ozian nightingale." He said; Elphaba laughed.

"I thought I'd gotten rid of that nickname when I left Shiz. God knows I hated it when Glinda gave it to me the night after the Ozdust."

"But you proved you deserved it the night of Ama Clutch's funeral. And that beautiful melody you sang."

"You never did keep your promise." She said. He smirked and rested his forehead against hers, kissing her gently on the lips. She sighed, and turned in her lover's arms.

"Well, the good thing is we don't have to make dinner." Idina said.

"How do we _know_ any of this is _edible_?" Skyler asked.

"Elphaba's a pretty good cook." Fiyero said. "You'll love her cooking."

"Not as much as yours. My braised duck isn't as good as yours." Elphaba replied.

"Well, only one way to find out? Sky, would you set the dinner table? Do you want me to help you with the brownies, Ela?" Dee asked. Elphaba shook her head and released herself from Fiyero's arms.

"No that's all right, I've got it." Elphaba said, pouring the batter and placing the pan in the oven. Once done, they covered the table with plates and dishes of food. They sat down to eat, said Grace, and then started serving.

"So, how did the auditions go, Yero?" Elphaba asked, passing the plate of lasagna to Dee.

"Good. I got cast as....Fiyero." He said. Elphaba chuckled softly.

"That's great. Who's the lead?"

"No one. They're still looking for someone to play the title character." He said, taking a roll, and passing the basket to Skyler.

"Ela, why don't you try out?" Elphaba looked up at Dee.

"I can't."

"Why not? You may be just what they're looking for." Dee replied. Elphaba bit her lip.

"All right. When are the next auditions?"

"For the title character? Tomorrow." Fiyero said. Elphaba nodded.

"Okay."

"What smells like.....burnt.....chocolate?" Sky asked, looking at the others. Dee's fork stopped midway to her lips, and she thought. Finally, it clicked for Elphaba.

"Oh god!" She cried, throwing down her napkin and getting up. The others followed.

Quickly, Elphaba grabbed a couple hot pads and opened the oven, releasing clouds of smoke, and she slowly, reached in and pulled out the pan. Setting it on the stove, she coughed, waving the smoke away, and closed the oven door. Taye opened a window, and once the room cleared, Elphaba looked at her brownie mix.

"Sorry." She said, turning to the others. "I forgot."

"It's okay." Dee said. "At least it didn't burn the house down."

Elphaba glared at her.

Fiyero turned the oven off.

"I guess I forgot to tell you that brownies aren't exactly Fae's strong point."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera**

**Thanks to Elphaba1Fan for reviewing 18.**

Chistery whispered the names, and saw the young woman standing in front of a mirror, examining her image.

She was dressed in a pair of black dress pants, and a black LaROK 'Sunset Date' top. Her long black hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she wore a pair of black ankle boots. A knock sounded on the door, and she opened it, revealing one of the brunette women.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"Well, how do I look?"

* * *

Dee entered the room. She wrinkled her nose.

"No. Not that outfit. Well, the pants, but not the shirt or the shoes. Let's find something else. Come on. You need to add color; too much black will make you look washed out, especially with your skin as pale as it is." And she took Elphaba's hand, leading her to their bedroom. Then, she opened her closet door, and began rummaging through her tops. She pulled out several, before turning to Elphaba. "Pick one. Your choice."

Elphaba turned to them. She looked through each one of them. Then, she picked up a turtleneck. Dee shook her head.

"No turtle necks. It's summer. Something that says feminine, but also says that you're the one for this role." Dee said, hanging the turtleneck back in her closet.

"This?" Elphaba asked, holding up a black and grey blouse.

"Maybe. Keep it. If we find something else, we can narrow it down. Keep it casual, but not so casual that you don't look like you're going to an audition. Formal, but comfortable, casual, but not _too_ casual."

They put aside that top, then a lipstick-colored top, and an off the shoulder blush-colored top. Dee had Elphaba try on all three tops, before deciding.

"The Classiques Entier® 'Roman Stripe' Shirt looks the most professional, but I think it may be too much of the same variant of one color. Let's see the other ones."

Afte Elphaba had changed into the second one, Dee circled her.

"The pink is a pretty color on you. But I think the print may be too distracting." Elphaba nodded, and put on the last one.

It was a Bailey 44 'Destined to Meet' Top in a light pink blush color, that was off the shoulder, but also had tank top style straps. It had an empire waist, and was rushed on the bodice.

"Perfect."

"Really?" Dee nodded. Elphaba turned, to examine herself in the mirror. She did look professional.

"Now, the shoes are a problem." Dee said, and she sorted through her shoes, until she brought out six pairs. Elphaba tried on each one, before they narrowed it down to Dee's black Burberry Dégradé Oxford Booties, her bisque-colored Salvatore Ferragamo 'Licia' Pumps, her white satin Cole Haan 'Ceci Air Rose' Ballet Flats, her white Linea Paolo 'Gwen' Pumps, and her black Enzo Angiolini 'Murray' Pumps.

"Heels would probably be best." She told Elphaba, who nodded. So they removed the ballet flats. She tried on each pair, and then decided to remove the booties, leaving the three pairs of pumps. They removed the black pumps, and turned to the one white and one bisque. After Elphaba modeled both, Dee said,

"Let's go with the bisque. It's more neutral." Elphaba looked down at the pair of heels on her feet.

"Okay."

"Now let's get your make up done." Dee said, dragging her over to the bed and sitting her down. She opened her make up case, and pulled out several different shades of foundation, shadow, blush, mascara, gloss and liner. "BareMinerals, best foundation on earth." Dee said, rolling her eyes and smiling as she brushed the white powder over Elphaba's face.

The raven head sat still for the woman. This was entirely different than the makeovers Glinda would try to give her at Shiz. With these, she actually was able to wear different shades.

"Okay," Dee pursed her lips, and held up several different shades of blush to Elphaba's pearl cheeks. Finally, she decided on a rose blush, and turned to her. "Do this." Dee said, sucking in her cheeks and making a fish face. Elphaba did the same, and allowed Dee to brush the blush along the apples of her cheeks.

Then, she turned to her eyes. First, she added black eyeliner to her eyes, and then moved on to shadow. Gently, she spread a beautiful dusty rose over Elphaba's lids, and then added black mascara. Finally, she turned to the younger woman's lips.

"We need a color that will make them pop, but not too much. Just enough that you get that.....Hollywood pout." Dee said, rifling through her glosses. "No lipstick. It looks too tacky for an audition. Gloss works better. Gives your lips a shine and looks perfect."

"There, done."

"Ready Dee?" Taye called.

"Coming. Come on, let's show the others." And she led Elphaba downstairs, where Taye and Fiyero were waiting. Once Elphaba made it to the floor, she turned to Fiyero.

"Well?"

"You look.....beautiful."

"Yero, it's an audition." She chuckled.

"I know, but you still look beautiful."

"Thank you."

"Come on, I'll drop you off." Taye said. Dee gave her a hug, and handed her her music.

"Break a leg."

"Am I supposed to?"

"No, it means 'good luck' in Broadway." Dee said, laughing.

"Oh. Okay. Thanks."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera**

**A/N: _One Step At A Time_ belongs to Jordin Sparks, Eliana just sings it for her audition.**

**Thanks to Elph****aba1Fan, -greenTARDISgal-, and ohmycarlisletwilight23 for reviewing 19. **

"Here you go. Call me when you get out." Taye said, helping Elphaba out of the cab.

"I will."

"Now, what's the name of your song?"

"Um......_Put Your Records On_.....no...wait.....um....._One Step At A Time_ by Jordin Sparks. Right?" Taye nodded. They'd decided that it'd be better if she did _One Step At A Time_ seeing as Sky had done the song for a talent show a year ago, and they had the music. Plus, they figured that Elphaba's vocals would be shown clearly with it.

"Right. And your name?" He asked, talking her to the door of the theater.

"Elphaba Thropp."

_"No. Eliana Mackinzie Thorne."_

"Right, sorry. I'm gonna have to get used to it."

"That's all right. Just, think before you state your name." He told her taking her hands and pulling her into a hug. Then, he kissed first her left cheek, then her right, and finally her lips, in the customary Broadway greeting.

"Break a leg."

"I will."

What they weren't counting on, was being seen by Sho, as she hailed a cab a few feet away.

* * *

Taking a deep breath, Elphaba stepped into the theater, and moved towards the judges.

She handed the music to the pianist, and the audition sheet to the directors.

"Unfortunately , I don't have a resume or headshots, they're back home in Louisiana, and I couldn't get them here in time." She said.

"That's fine." The director told her, silently scanning her audition sheet.

Elphaba nodded, and stepped onstage.

"Hello, my name is....." _Think before you state._ "Eliana Mackenzie Thorne, and I am auditioning for the role of Elphaba. And…..I will be singing….um…._One Step at a Time_ by Jordin Sparks."

She closed her eyes briefly, and opened them, nodding to the pianist to start at the marked measure.

_"Hurry up and wait  
So close, but so far away  
Everything that you've always dreamed of  
Close enough for you to taste  
But you just can't touch"_

Elphaba's soprano soared through the rafters; she kept her eyes on a point above the judges' heads. Instead of auditioning, she was back in Dee's kitchen, helping make dinner, singing along with the radio as they set the table. Mmmmm, she could even smell the lasagna.

_"You wanna show the world, but no one knows your name yet  
Wonder when and where and how you're gonna make it  
You know you can if you get the chance  
In your face as the door keeps slamming  
Now you're feeling more and more frustrated  
And you're getting all kind of impatient waiting"_

Taye had told her earlier to try to seduce the judges; how could she when she was so nervous? Besides, she didn't need to try, they were won over the minute the lyrics started flying from her lips. Like Yero had said, Elphaba had the voice of a nightingale.

_"We live and we learn to take  
One step at a time  
There's no need to rush  
It's like learning to fly  
Or falling in love  
It's gonna happen and it's  
Supposed to happen and we  
Find the reasons why  
One step at a time"_

As the last note died on her lips, she took a deep breath, and bowed. Elphaba was the last one to audition, and all she wanted now was to get home, and bury herself under the covers of the bed in the guest room.

"Thank you."

The pianist handed her her music, and she turned to go, when the director stood.

"Wait! Miss Thorne, wait!" Elphaba turned, to see the head judge hurrying over to her.

"Yes?"

"Would you be willing to do a cold?" He asked, holding out a script.

"Cold?" Elphaba asked, furrowing her brow.

"A cold reading. Reading from the script?"

"Oh. Um.....sure."

"Good." And she took the booklet, flipping it open. As the director went back to his seat, he said, "Would you please read the paragraph on page seven? Start from 'What? What are you all staring at?'"

Elphaba nodded, quickly scanning the lines. She quietly cleared her throat, and began.

"'What? What are you all staring at? Do I have something in my teeth?'" She sighed. "'All right, let's get this over will. No, I'm not seasick, _yes_, I've always been green, and _no_, I did not chew grass as a child.'"

"Good. Now, would you turn to page 25 and start from 'We have to find someplace safe.' I'll read Fiyero if it'll help you." He said, turning to the page. Elphaba did the same and read that line. Once done, the director read his.

"'Don't you think that I realize that? You must think I'm really stupid or something!'" Elphaba chuckled gently.

"'No, not really stupid.'" She sad, her voice softened.

"'Why is it that everytime I see you, you're causing some sort of commotion?'" Elphaba's temper flared.

"'I don't cause commotions, I am one!'"

"'That's for sure.'"

"Oh, so you think I should just keep my mouth shut! Is that what you're saying?'"

"'No, I....'"

"'Do you think I want to be this way? Do you think I want to care this much? Don't you know how much easier my life would be if I didn't?'"

"Okay, that's good. Now, Miss Thorne, would you please turn to page 51, and start from 'Now wait just a clock tick!'" Elphaba nodded. She flipped to said page, and silently read the passage. Her eyes watered, and she realized that this was the exact thing she'd said to Glinda back in Oz. Taking a deep breath, she dropped the script, and stepped towards the judges, taking a deep breath.

"'Now you wait just a clock tick! I know that it may be difficult for that blissful, blonde, bubbleheaded brain of yours to comprehend that someone like him could actually, truly choose someone like me!'" She screamed, pointing to herself. "'But it's happened, it's real. And you can wave that ridiculous wand all you damn well want, you can't change it.'" Her voice filled with emotion as she leaned towards the judges. "'He _never_ belonged to you. He doesn't love you, and he _never_ did! He _loves me_!'" She pulled back, taking deep breaths to calm herself.

"Thank you." She nodded. The three judges excused themselves to talk, and soon came back, smiling.

"Everyone, I think we've found our Elphaba." He turned to Elphaba. "Congratulations, Miss Thorne, you've got the part."

* * *

Elphaba met Taye twenty minutes later, at the taxi.

"So, how did you do? You get a callback?"

"I got the part." She said, dazed.

"What?"

"I got the part!" Elphaba screamed, jumping up and down.

"That's great. Let's head home and tell the others; Dee will be so proud."

* * *

"Dee! Yero! I got the part!" Elphaba's voice rang into the kitchen from the foyer.

"What is it? What's wrong? What's going on?" Idina asked, hurrying into the foyer, Fiyero behind her.

Elphaba's joy was short lived however.

"That's _exactly_ what I'd like to know."


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21. **

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera**

**Thanks to ohmycarlisletwilight23 and Elphaba1Fan for reviewing 20.**

Elphaba turned, to see Sho standing in the doorway, hands on her hips.

"Sho. What a pleasant surprise." Dee said, going over to give her friend a hug.

"Save it Menzel." She snapped, turning to Elphaba. "And you. Who are you? First I meet you at Nordstorm's, and then I see you kiss Taye outside the Gershwin today. _Who are you_?"

"Um....uh...."

"Dee, how about we sit down and tell you everything." Dee said.

"Everything?"

"Everything."

* * *

"My real name is--" Elphaba sighed, and played with her fingers. "Elphaba Melena Thropp."

She glanced up at Sho, to see the woman staring at her like she was nuts.

"Yeah, right." She said, breaking out in laughter.

"I'm serious." Elphaba snapped.

"Ela." Dee placed her hand on Elphaba's shoulder, calming her. Then, she turned to Sho, going over and kneeling down, taking the woman's hands. "Sho please. You trust me with everything. So please, trust me. They're telling the truth. They are Elphaba and Fiyero."

"From the musical?" Sho asked. Dee nodded.

"Yes. Elphaba's just...degreenified."

"What about Fiyero?" Sho asked, nodding to him. He sighed, and started unbuttoning his shirt. "What is he doing?" Everyone turned, to see Fiyero removing his shirt, revealing a small cluster of sapphire diamond tattoos on his shoulder. They were beautiful.

"He's supposed to have the markings right? Well, there you go." Dee said. Sho got up, went over, and gently traced the diamonds on his shoulder. Then, she turned to the others, as Fiyero put his shirt back on and buttoned it.

"I'm sorry. I...accused when I shouldn't have."

"That's okay Sho. It's part of your nature, and it can be forgiven." Dee said, taking her friend's hands.

"But....how are they going to live in New York with those names?" Sho asked.

"Well, we figured that Elphaba and Fiyero would be the nicknames they were given in college because they both loved the book so much." Sho nodded at Dee's explanation.

"All right."

Once they finished, Sho headed to the door to leave.

"Wait. You won't tell, will you?" Elphaba asked, worried. "She'll keep her promise, won't she?" Elphaba turned to Dee.

"Of course she will. Sho keeps her promises. You can trust her." Dee said.

Sho turned back to them. "About who Yero and I really are?" Elphaba said. Sho tilted her head, a small smile on her face.

"Tell what?" She asked, smiling at them. "I'll see you tomorrow Dee. Bye Ela."

And she left, closing the door behind her.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22. **

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera**

**Thanks to ohmycarlisletwilight23 for reviewing 21.**

Rehearsals started in four weeks, giving the new cast some time off during the summer.

Meanwhile, Elphaba spent much of her time with Dee, shopping or cooking. Today, both girls were out of the house, and Dee was dragging Elphaba to a small bookstore, where they were going to meet Sho.

"Why?"

"Because, you two have issues that need to be resolved." Dee said, linking her arm through Elphaba's.

"The only issue Sho has, is that she hates me." Elphaba said, as the two walked down the street. Idina rolled her eyes.

"She doesn't hate you. I _think_ -and this is just a guess- that she's a little jealous of you." Dee said, causing Elphaba to stop.

"What? _Her?_ Jealous of _me_? _Because of what_?" Elphaba asked, turning to Dee.

"She probably jealous because....because when we were both in _Wicked_, we were the best of friends, and, since we both left _Wicked_, we've grown apart. She started working on her albums... I got pregnant with Sky... and since then, I haven't really been as close to anyone since Sho. Until you and Yero showed up, and since you showed up, I've gotten pretty close to you, and....I think Sho sees you and I becoming what she and I _were_, and, I think she feels threatened." Dee explained, linking their arms again and continuing to the cafe.

"But I'm not trying to break up your friendship or anything. If anything, I'm trying to make friends. I've never meant to destroy a friendship." Elphaba said.

"You're not. It's just...Sho being Sho. Once you two work it out, I think you'll be the best of friends."

"I doubt it."

"Trust me, once you get Sho on your side, she's the best ally you can ask for. Plus, she's one of the coolest people you'll ever meet." Dee said, pulling the door to the cafe open and following Elphaba in.

It as a small cafe, that smelled of cinnamon rolls, crossiants, and coffee. Dee led her to a table in the corner, where Sho sat waiting.

"Hey Sho."

"Hey Dee." Sho met Elphaba's eyes. "Elphaba."

"Hey Sho."

"Okay, you two need to work this out." Dee said, taking a seat. Elphaba did the same. "Because I am not going to sit in the middle of this."

* * *

Four days later, Glinda went up to the tower room.

"Chistery?"

The monkey turned, the necklace in his hands.

"See....Miss.....Elphaba..."

Glinda moved towards him.

_I've magicked it so all you have to do is whisper our names and it'll bring up where ever we are. You can watch us then._

He held the necklace out to her.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera**

**Thanks to ohmycarlisletwilight23 and Elphaba1Fan for reviewing 22.**

One week passed.

Fiyero was taking Elphaba out to a nice quiet dinner at a small little cafe. Fiyero and Elphaba had been looking for a nice, small apartment, and found one in the WAC. They'd looked it up, and decided to rent it out; the landlord liked the young couple and decided on letting them rent the small apartment at a good price, starting at $100 a month, with the first three months rent free.

However, they couldn't move in until the old tenents moved out. That would be in two months, seeing as the old tenents were on tour, and wouldn't be back for two months. So, Fiyero and Elphaba stayed with Dee and Taye until then.

"There."

Elphaba turned. Dee was sitting on the bed, watching her friend get ready.

"Now, we need to fix your hair. What do you think? Up or down?"

"Curls?" Elphaba asked. Dee wrinkled her nose.

"I'm thinking up." And gently, Dee pushed her onto the bed, then plugged in the curling iron. Elphaba sat silent, allowing Idina to curl her hair. When she finished, she pinned several curls on top of Elphaba's head, and then pinned a few curls under those, repeating the process until she had a waterfall of curls cascading from the top of her head to her shoulders. The bottom curls were left hanging free, and Dee then pulled a couple small curls so they clung to her face.

"There. Now, all you need is your makeup, and you'll be set."

She helped Elphaba with her makeup, teaching the younger woman how to get the smoky eye effect. When they were done, Dee turned Elphaba towards the full length mirror. Elphaba, for her part, was amazed at her transformation. She looked beautiful. Slowly, she reached up and ran her fingers along her jawline.

"Ela."

Elphaba turned, to see Dee holding out her purse.

"Fiyero's going to _flip_." She told her. Elphaba smiled at her.

"Thank you Dee."

"You're welcome." She said, hugging her. Then, Dee left, allowing Elphaba to make last minute adjustments to her outfit.

* * *

"I think you're gonna love her." Dee told Fiyero, before turning, to see Elphaba come down the stairs.

Once she got to the floor, Fiyero got a good look at her dress. It was a thin spagehetti strap black dress, with black lace on the paisley print bodice. The long black skirt clung to her hips, accenting her curves, and her hair cascaded down her shoulders.

"Hi Yero." Elphaba whispered.

"Wow.....you look......wow." He said, taking in his girlfriend's look. She blushed, and lowered her head.

"Well, you two better get going." Dee said, breaking the awkward silence. The two lovebirds nodded, and headed to the door.

"Now, you two enjoy yourselves. But, I do want you to have her back by midnight, and if you do anything- _anything_- to my little girl, I _will_ hunt you down and kill you." Taye said, the father coming out in him.

Elphaba and Fiyero chuckled.

"I'll have her back by midnight, I promise." Fiyero said, taking Elphaba's hand. She gently kissed the back of his hand, and they turned to go.

"And have fun." Dee said, closing the door as the two hurried to catch a cab. Once the door was closed, Idina turned to Taye.

"_Must_ you act like a father?"

"Of course I must. I am a father."

"But not Ela's father. Ela's father was Frex, and then it was later discovered that her father was really the Wizard."

"I don't think she knows." Taye said.

"That doesn't matter. You're_ not_ her father."

"I know. But is it so bad that I want to protect her like a father?" Taye asked. Dee wrapped him in her arms.

"No. It's not bad at all."


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera**

**Thanks to Pernicia and Elphaba1Fan for reviewing 23.**

"So, are you excited to be working in theater?" Elphaba asked, taking a sip of her tea.

Fiyero nodded. "Even more so because I'll be working with you." She smiled at him.

The attempt at conversation died, and soon, the waiter appeared with their orders. They ate in silence, and left after desert. Together, the two walked down the street, holding hands, talking softly.

"I love you." She whispered.

"I love you, too." He replied, kissing her gently. Then, he pulled her into a small doorway, under the awning of a shop.

Gently, he held her against him, and kissed her passionately.

"I love you, Yero."

"I love you." He replied, once they'd broken. Then, they left the cover, continuing down the street. "I love you enough that...I want to spend the rest of my life making love to you. I want a home like Dee and Taye have, one that's always welcome to visitors. I want a family. I want to make you a mother, Fae."

She pulled away.

"Yero, what are you saying?"

Licking his lips, he pulled a small, black velvet box out of his pocket, and opened it up. Inside, rested a ring.

It was only when he took it out and placed it on her finger, did she recognize it as his great-great-great grandmother's ring. The clean, white diamond gleamed in the light.

"Is that..."

"Yes. Elphaba, I love you, with all my heart."

Then, slowly, he knelt down and took her hand.

"Yes."

"Elphaba, what I'm asking is...."

"Yes."

"Let me get to it....."

"Yes."

"Elphaba--"

"Yes."

"What I'm asking, is--Will you marry me, Elphaba?"

"Yes."

"What?"

"Yes." She helped him to his feet, and met his eyes. "Yero, I've been trying to tell you for the last five minutes."

She took his face in her hands and brought his lips closer to hers.

"Yes. My answer.....is _yes_."

As they kissed, he lifted her off the ground, and spun her around, before setting her down.

"Oh thank Oz. I don't know what I'd have done if you'd said no."


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera**

**Thanks to ohmycarlisletwilight23 and -greenTARDISgal- for reviewing 24.**

"How should we tell them?" Elphaba asked, as they stood on the stoop of Taye and Dee's townhouse.

"However we want." Fiyero said.

"Really?"

"Really. I _can't_ believe you said yes." Elphaba laughed, as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Yes. Yes. Yes." She whispered, their lips meeting passionately.

So engrossed in the kiss were they, that they didn't hear the door open, or see Skyler standing in the doorway in her pink cotton Tinkerbell pajamas and bunny slippers. They broke apart when she spoke.

"Oh, it's you. I'd've thought you'd left by now." Then, she turned and called up the stairs. "Mom! Dad! They're back!"

Instantly, Dee and Taye came into the foyer from the living room.

"Sky, what's with all the yelling?" Dee asked, as she laid eyes on the two lovers in the doorway. Then, suddenly, her eyes went to the ring on Elphaba's finger.

A beautiful simple silver band rested on her ring finger, a small diamond in the middle.

"Oh my god. Is that...an engagement ring? Ela, Yero, are you engaged?"

Elphaba nodded.

"Yero proposed, and I said yes! We're engaged!"

"Congratulations!" Dee said, going over and hugging the two each in turn as they broke apart. Then, she pulled the two into the house, and led them into the kitchen. They excused themselves and hurried upstairs to remove their coats.

"Engaged. Taye isn't it wonderful?" Dee asked, pouring four cups of coffee. He nodded.

"I know." He sighed, accepting his cup and taking a sip. "She's growing up so fast."

* * *

Finally, the two lovebirds came back down, Elphaba having removed her heels and Fiyero his coat and tie.

"So, when's the wedding?" Idina asked, handing the younger couple each a cup.

"Who in their right mind would want to marry _you_?" Skyler asked, eyeing Elphaba. The older woman glared at her, and Sky glared back.

"_Sky_. I think it's wonderful. Now, when's the wedding?"

"We haven't decided yet. Fae and I have been talking, and....we want to wait until we get settled in our own place, and when our careers get situated to have the wedding." Fiyero said, taking her hand.

"So you'll be leaving?" Dee said, processing what he'd said.

"Eventually, yes. But not right now." Then, Elphaba reached out and took her friend's hand. "And when we get our own place, you'll always be welcome. But that won't be for a while. Two months at least."

Dee nodded, and squeezed her hand.

"Well, you'd better set some time aside, because we have a wedding to plan." She said, giving them all a big smile, while inside, her heart was breaking.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera**

**Thanks to Elphaba1Fan for reviewing 24 and 25 and ohmycarlisletwilight23 for reviewing 25.**

Two days after the engagement was announced, Dee found herself sitting at the island in the kitchen, flipping through a couple of _Modern Bride_ magazines she'd picked up at the store earlier that day. As the photos of women in wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses flashed past her eyes, she thought back to her own wedding.

She and Taye had gotten married in the hotel where_ How Stella Got Her Groove Back_ had been filmed. She'd done the white dress and wedding veil, the bridesmaids and maid of honor, the cake and the reception.

And she had loved every minute of it.

She's been the princess for a day, marrying her Prince Charming.

She wondered if Elphaba would want the same thing.

"Hey." Elphaba said, entering the kitchen. She stopped at the island and poured herself a cup of coffee, then, leaned down and looked into Dee's eyes. "Dee? You okay?"

Silence.

"Okay. What are you looking at?" Quiet, Dee tossed her one of the magazines. "Wedding magazines." Elphaba stated, looking up at Dee. The woman met her eyes and then got off the stool she was sitting on, stormed through the living room, grabbed her purse, and left, slamming the door behind her.

"Dee!" Setting her cup down, Elphaba followed.

"Dee, talk to me! Please!" The older woman ignored her.

Finally, they stopped in Central Park. Elphaba cornered her.

"Idina, _talk_."

The older woman sighed, and sat down on one of the benches. Elphaba joined her.

"What's wrong?"

Silence. Then,

"You're getting married."

"I know. Don't tell me you've gotten temporary amnesia. Yero and I told you two days ago that we were getting married. Why the sudden coldness?"

"You'll be leaving."

"Just because I'm leaving doesn't mean I won't--" It clicked. Elphaba turned to Dee. "Is that why you're so rigid? Because I'm getting married and I'll be leaving?"

When Dee turned to her, Elphaba saw tears swimming in her eyes.

"You and Yero won't be living with us anymore. You'll have your own place, probably your own babies. You won't come visit us." She said, wiping her eyes.

"What makes you think that? Of course we'll come visit you. And you can come visit us." Elphaba said, as she got up, going over to Dee, who had gotten up and gone over to the pond. "And....when....when we do start having babies....you can come help me take care of them, because let's face it, children are _not_ my strong point. I'm going to need a lot of help. Both Yero and I will. And....maybe Sky can help too...." She thought about that for a minute. "Okay, maybe _not_ Sky, but.....you know, you and Taye."

Dee laughed.

"Promise?" Elphaba nodded.

"I promise."

* * *

Two hours later, Dee had taken Elphaba to Kleinfield's to find a wedding dress.

"Do we have to do this now?" Elphaba asked.

"Yes. It's always best to find the dress before you plan everything else, that way it's one less thing to worry about." Dee said. "And, I invited some friends to help."

"Who, Dee?" Elphaba asked. Idina turned her around, to see Shoshana and a few other women waiting in the lobby for them.

"You know Sho. Ela, this is Kristin, Eden, Megan, Kendra, and Stephanie. Girls, this is Ela." The others waved to her. Elphaba nodded to them. She and Sho had gotten together a couple days earlier, and finally made peace.

"Hello ladies," Elphaba turned to see a young sales clerk behind her. "So, who's the lucky bride-to-be?" She asked. Dee gave Elphaba a gentle push forward.

"Hi. I'm.....Eliana."

"Nice to meet you Eliana. I'm Kaci. I'll be helping you look around today. Anything in mind?" Elphaba shook her head.

"Okay. Well, let's go pick out a few and I'll have you try them on, and then you can decide." She led the women into a small waiting area, and then took Elphaba on the rounds of finding a wedding dress. When they had a good stack of dresses, Kaci helped Elphaba change into them. She showed all the dresses to the girls, asking them for their opinion.

The dresses were either too puffy, too many bows, or two little bows.

"I'm thinking strapless and....nothing with poof or lace. I'm not really a poof or lace kind of girl." Elphaba said.

"Don't worry, neither am I." Kaci said, pulling several strapless, poofless gowns.

Finally, they narrowed it to two. Both Alita Graham. Both strapless.

One was a gorgeous mermaid style gown with a dropped waist, made of satin, and beading. It tied like a corset in the back, and looked beautiful on Elphaba, accenting her curves.

"I'm not too fond of the skirt." Elphaba told the girls. "What do you think?"

"It looks beautiful on you, but it's your dress, Ela." Sho said, giving her a small smile. Elphaba nodded, and went back into the room to try on the other gown. Finally, she came out, and turned to the mirror.

The second was also an Alita Graham strapless gown, with an A-line dropped waist, made of beautiful tulle fabric.

"Well?"

Dee gave her a small smile.

"You look gorgeous."

"Really?" Elphaba asked, as Dee nodded. Then, she moved to the mirror.

The dress clung to every curve she possessed, falling from her hips in graveful waves. The top accented her small waist, and showed off her shoulders. With her dark hair tumbling down her back in gentle waves, Elphaba looked like a porcelain doll, her pearl skin perfect.

"Now, do you want a long veil or a small hat veil?" Kaci asked.

"Um...." Elphaba looked at the others for assistance.

"I think a veil would be better suited for this dress." Dee said.

* * *

By the time the girls got back to the house, dinner had been made, and the table set.

"Come on, let's go hang this up." Dee said, taking the dress into the guest room. She hung it up in the back corner of the closet, and then turned to Elphaba.

"Now, I don't want Fiyero _near_ this dress. Do everything you can to keep him away. Okay?" Elphaba nodded. Then, they hurried downstairs.

As they entered the kitchen, Fiyero pulled Elphaba into his arms, and kissed her gently.

"Hello." She smiled at him.

"Hello yourself."

"How was your day?"

"Good. Dee took me shopping for my wedding dress. Oh, by the way, I'll pay you back Dee." Elphaba said, leaning against the counter. Dee looked up from pouring herself some water.

"Don't worry about it. The owner of Kleinfield's owes me a favor." She said, taking a sip of her water.

* * *

"Chistery?"

Glinda slowly moved towards the monkey, as if afraid he'd run off.

"Give me the necklace."

Slowly, she reached out to take the jewelry.

"Please, Chistery. Give me the necklace."


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera**

**Thanks to ohmycarlisletwilight23 and Elphaba1Fan for reviewing 26.**

The first meeting for the _Wicked_ Revival cast was at one on Tuesday afternoon. The four weeks were up, and the cast was meeting at one of the dance studios.

Elphaba and Fiyero pulled the door open, and Elphaba stopped, shocked to see so many people in one room. Gently, Fiyero took her hand, led her into the room, and they took seats in a couple of vacant chairs. Other people sat in chairs or on the floor, chatting. Elphaba clutched her script tightly.

"Relax love." Fiyero whispered, kissing her gently on the lips.

"Okay, is everyone here?" The director asked. The group quieted down, and the man directing spoke up again. "Hello everyone. I'm William Michaels. I'm the director for the _Wicked_ Revival, of which you've all been chosen. A little known fact about me is that I'm a descendant of Sacagawea. Now, I want all of you to state your name, the role you're playing, and one fact about yourself."

He nodded to the left side of the room and they started. A couple of the dancers were both part time flight attendants, one of the ensemble members had six false teeth due to a fall when he was a kid. The girl who played Nessarose had suffered from and beat brain cancer as a child. Finally, it go to the three major leads. The young woman playing Glinda stood.

"Hello everyone." She started. She sounded like Glinda, even looked like her, blonde hair, short stature and all. "My name's Kate Desiree Bowman, and I am playing Glinda, and one fact myself....." She stopped, thinking. "...is that my parents own a smoothie shop." Then, she sat down.

Fiyero stood.

"Hey everyone. I'm Frederick Jason Tipton, but my friends call me Jason. I'm playing Fiyero, and one little known fact about me is that, when I met Eliana, I was eight, and it on a trip to Louisiana, I fell in love with her, we became pen pals, and I ran into her in college, we started dating, and over the years, grew so close that I asked her to marry me three weeks ago, and she said yes." There was a collective _aww_ in the room. He chuckled. "And the funny thing, is that we fell in love over a misunderstanding about ice cream."

The rest of the cast laughed, and Elphaba took his hand, squeezing gently before standing up. Fiyero kissed her gently on the lips, to the delight of the rest of the cast. Elphaba blushed.

"Hi. I'm Eliana Mackenzie. I'm playing Elphaba, and one little known fact about me is that my friends call me Elphaba, mainly because when I read the novel version of _Wicked_, I fell in love with it, and my friends jokingly started calling me Elphaba because my personality resembled the main character. It was the same with Jason, so they started refering to him as Fiyero, and me as Elphaba, and the names just stuck."

She sat back down, and the director spoke up.

"That's great. Now, let's start the read through. I want you all off book as soon as possible, and hopefully, next week we'll be able to start blocking. Okay? Now, let's get started."

The ensemble started, reading in unison, and Elphaba and Fiyero listened, as Desiree soon began her evaluation.

"'Glinda! Exactly how dead is she?'"

"'Well, there has been much rumor and speculation...innuendo, outuendo....but let me set the record straight. According to the Time Dragon Clock, the melting occured at the 13th hour; a dire result of a bucket of water thrown by a female child. Yes, the Wicked Witch of the West is dead!'"

They continued on with the show, until Elphaba's opening line. She sat up, and looked at the rest of the cast, much like she had that first day at Shiz, years earlier.

"'What? What are you all looking at? Oh, do I have something in my teeth?'" She sighed. "'Okay, let's get this over with. Now, I'm not seasick, yes, I've always been green, no I did not chew grass as a child!'"

David Han, who played Frex snapped so loud, Elphaba jumped.

"'Elphaba!'"

"'Oh, this is my younger sister, Nessarose. As you can see, she is a perfectly normal color.'"

"'Elphaba, stop making a spectacle of yourself! I'm only sending you here for one reason...'"

* * *

"'Don't you think that I realize that? You must think I'm really stupid or something!'"

"'No, not really stupid.'"

"'Why is it that everytime I see you, you're causing some sort of commotion?'"

"'I don't cause commotions, I am one!'"

"'That's for sure.'"

"Oh, so you think I should just keep my mouth shut! Is that what you're saying?'"

"'No, I....'"

"'Do you think I want to be this way? Do you think I want to care this much? Don't you know how much easier my life would be if I didn't?'"

Elphaba and Fiyero finished the scene, the group took a break, and then came back for the rest of the read through. They only got halfway through the second act, when they had to leave, because the studio had closed.

"I want you all to finish reading the script at home, and be prepared to go over the songs tomorrow."

* * *

Later that night, Elphaba lay in bed with Fiyero, reading through the rest of the script.

His arms wrapped around her waist, and his lips gently began their exploration of her neck.

"Mmm, Yero....later."

Content, he breathed in her scent, and then got out of bed, and moved into the bathroom. Elphaba heard the shower come on, and she returned to the script.

Glinda: This was Elphaba's. [Holding out the bottle]

Wizard: What's that you say?

Glinda: It was a keepsake. It was her mother's. She told me so herself. I've only seen a little, green bottle like this one other time. It was right here, in this room. You offered me a drink from it. [Lover's song played in background.]

Wizard: But...oh my Lord....I AM A SENTIMENTAL MAN WHO ALWAYS LONGED TO BE.... a father...

Morrible: So that was it. That's why she had such powers! She was a child of both worlds!

Elphaba's eyes widened, as she read the words in the booklet. Quickly, she sat up, and climbed off the bed, book in hand. As she hurried downstairs, she kept reading the lines.

Wizard: [He cries.]

Glinda: I want you to leave Oz. I'll make the pronouncement myself: that the strains of wizardship have been too much for you and you are taking an indefinite leave of absence! Did you hear what I said?!

Wizard: Yes, your goodness.

Glinda: You'd better go get your balloon ready. Guards!

[He exits.]

Morrible: Glinda, dear, I know we've had our miniscule diferentiations in the past....

Glinda: Guards! Madame, have you ever considered how you'd fare in captivity?

Morrible: What?

Glinda: [Articulated] Captivity....prison! Personally I don't think you'll hold up very well. My professional opinion is that you do not have what it takes. I hope you prove me wrong. I doubt you will. Take her away!

Morrible: No!!!

[Scene 14 - Finale]

Ozians: GOOD NEWS! SHE'S DEAD! THE WITCH OF THE WEST IS DEAD! THE WICKEDEST WITCH THERE EVER WAS, THE ENEMY OF ALL OF US, HERE IN OZ, IS DEAD! GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS!!

[The Scarcrow (Fiyero) walks onstage. He bends down and knocks on a trap door in the floor.]

Fiyero: It worked!

[He opens the door and Elphaba climbs out.]

Elphaba: Fiyero! I thought you'd never get here.

[She touches his straw face.]

Fiyero: GO ahead, touch, I don't mind. Ah, you did the best you could. You saved my life.

Elphaba: You're still beautiful.

Fiyero: You don't have to lie to me.

Elphaba: It's not lying...its looking at things another way.

Ozians: NO ONE MOURNS THE WICKED. NOW AT LAST SHE'S DEAD AND GONE! NOW AT LAST THERE'S JOY THROUGHOUT THE LAND!

Glinda: Fellow Ozians, friends, we have been through a frightening time. There will be other times and other things that frighten us. But if you let me, I'd like to try to help. I'd like to try to be...Glinda the Good.

Ozians: GOOD NEWS!!

Fiyero: It's time to go.

Elphaba: We can never come back to Oz, can we?

Fiyero: No.

Elphaba: I only wish....

Fiyero: What?

Elphaba: Glinda could know that we're alive.

Fiyero: She can't know, not if we want to be safe. No one can ever know.

Ozians: GOOD NEWS....

Fiyero: Come....

Glinda: WHO CAN SAY IF I'VE BEEN CHANGED FOR THE BETTER? BUT...

Elphaba and Glinda: BECAUSE I KNEW YOU.....

Ozians: NO ONE MOURNS THE WICKED...

Glinda: BECAUSE I KNEW YOU...

Elphaba and Glinda: I HAVE BEEN CHANGED......

[Fiyero and Elphaba leave through the clock.]

Ozians: NO ONE MOURNS THE WICKED! WICKED....WICKED!!!

"Dee! Taye!"

Elphaba's cries brought everyone, including, Sky and Fiyero, who had finished his shower and put on his pajamas, downstairs. They watched as Elphaba entered the living room.

"Ela? What is it?" Dee asked, getting up from the couch. Elphaba held the script out.

"Is it true?"

"Is what true, honey?"

"Is the Wizard _really_ my father?"


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera **

**Thanks to Elphaba1Fan, Pernicia, and -greenTARDISgal- for reviewing 27. **

"Is it true?" Elphaba repeated.

Dee looked from the script to Elphaba and back.

"Answer me Dee! Is it true? Is he my father?"

The look in Elphaba's eyes was so heart-wrenching, so lost, so confused, that Dee could only nod.

Slowly, Elphaba's dark eyes filled with tears, and with a quick blink, they slowly began gliding down her cheeks. Taking a shuddering breath, she sank onto the sofa, and buried her face in her hands, her long raven hair tumbling around her shoulders. She let out a shaky sob, and Dee's heart shattered for the girl. Slowly, she sat next to Elphaba, and reached out, gently rubbing her back. Elphaba's sobs rang through the living room, and gently, Dee pulled Elphaba to her, letting the younger woman burrow into her chest. Elphaba clung to the older woman, and Idina gently rubbed slow circles on her back.

"Shh. Shh. It's okay. It's okay."

"No it's not. How could......_that_ man....." Elphaba dissolved into tears again, and clung to Idina as if she were the overturned Collapsable B from the Titianic. Dee continued rubbing Elphaba's back.

"Shh. Sweetie.....I'm so sorry. I....." Dee looked up at the others; Taye gently squeezed her shoulder, and knelt down in front of Elphaba.

"Ela? Honey?" Elphaba burrowed further into Idina; the older woman held her close, protecting her, whispering softly into her hair. Taye watched silently, as his wife's maternal instincts kicked in; she pulled the girl closer, soothing her, treating her like a daughter, being the mother Elphaba had never had; the mother she desparately needed now.

* * *

An hour later, Elphaba's sobs had subsided, and Dee sat with her on the sofa, talking softly to her.

"Here Elphaba." Taye said, handing the younger woman a steaming cup of raspberry tea.

"Thank you." She whispered, accepting it. Fiyero settled next to his fiancee, and gently, lovingly, brushed a stray tear off her cheek with the ball of his thumb.

"You all right, love?" He asked; she nodded, sniffling. Sky stood leaning against the back of the armchair her father had settled in, listening.

Taye and Dee had told Elphaba and Fiyero the whole story, from the affair her mother had had, to Glinda discovering the truth. When they'd finished, Elphaba had turned to the two, confused.

"But....Yero and I....we got caught by Glinda before we left......she never....said anything about the Wizard....." Elphaba whispered softly, slumping back into sofa. "Why wouldn't she say anything?" She asked, looking at Dee.

Dee shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe she didn't find out about the Wizard until after you left. But we don't know. After all, Glinda's back in Oz, isn't she?" Elphaba nodded. "So we can't ask her."

"But...she's my best friend. Why would she keep that from me?"

"I don't know, sweetie. I don't know."

* * *

"Chistery....be a good flying monkey, and give me the necklace. Come on. Give Auntie Glinda the necklace."

Glinda said, as she inched towards the monkey. Chistery just stared at her. Then, in one fell swoop, Glinda sprang, and Chistery, being a flying monkey.....well.....flew. Up and out of Glinda's reach.

"Oh, you....winged vermin! I don't see how Elphie ever lived with you!" Glinda cried. Chistery, meanwhile, settled on the top of the bookcase, and fingered the stones. Silently, he whispered,

"Elphaba. Fiyero."

And slowly, the fog in the middle stone began to clear. In the image, were five people, four adults and a teenager. Chistery recognized two of them as being Elphaba and Fiyero, and the other woman was the one he'd seen the night before. However, the man and the girl were new.

"Chistery! Get your winged monkey ass down here now! Give me that necklace!" Glinda cried. He looked from the necklace, to Glinda, and back.

"But it doesn't make sense! Why would she hide something like that from me?"

"What did you say Chistery?" Glinda asked.

He moved from the bookcase, until he was floating in front of her, holding the necklace just out of her grasp, but level enough that she could watch. Glinda saw the young woman with the ebony hair and pearl skin.

"Who is this?" Chistery stayed silent.

"Maybe she didn't hide it from you, honey. Maybe she didn't know. It could be possible." The other woman said.

"No. She kept something from me. She kept a major secret...."

"Ela.... honey, she's still your best friend--"

"No! She's not! Anyone who keeps secrets isn't a best friend!"

"Maybe she was trying to protect--"

"She wasn't trying to protect me! She wasn't trying to do anything! And it's so typical of her! She'd do anything to further her position. Grovel if she had to. Blackmail. Murder."

"But honey--"

"No. You don't know her like I do. You don't know Glinda Upland like I do. She's an Upland. And an Upland will do anything to get what she wants. And as far as I'm concerned, she's no longer a friend of mine. As far as I'm concerned, I never met Glinda Upland."

"But--"

"No Dee! As far as I'm concerned, Glinda Upland_ never_ existed."

The sound of a door slamming upstairs caused everyone to jump. It was as the image was fading, that Glinda realized who had spoken. Her eyes widened, and she gasped.

"Elphie!"


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera **

**Thanks to ghostly bender, Elphaba1Fan and ohmycarlisletwilight23, and -greenTARDISgal- for reviewing 28.**

**A/N: I'm going to be working on my new fic, Bones also. But, it's NOT a Bones/Booth fic. It's a Wicked fic, but the characters have the same jobs as Bones/Booth/Cam/ etc. And they go through entirely different adventures in Oz. Sort of an alternate universe. So, I'm going to be working on, wait for it:**

**1. Another Changed?**

**2. Here I Am**

**3. Butterfly Kisses**

**4. Kiss Me Goodbye**

**5. Why Can't I?**

**6. Bones**

**Not necessarily in that order, but you get it. I'm gonna be working on six different stories at the same time. So, check back for new updates and the first chapter of Bones!**

A body spooned against Elphaba's.

She didn't move, didn't speak, didn't breathe.

It wasn't until Fiyero wrapped his arms around her waist, that she broke down. He didn't say anything, just held her, let her cry. Her shoulders shook, and her sobs wrenched at Fiyero's heart. Gently, he buried his face in her hair, and she reached down, grabbing his hand and tugging. At her command, he tightened his grip on her waist, and gently kissed her neck.

"Shh. Shh. It's okay, love. It's okay." He whispered.

Slowly, Elphaba turned in his arms, and met his eyes. No words were spoken. None were needed.

Tenderly, gently, lovingly, Fiyero brushed his lips against hers. When he pulled away, Elphaba pulled him back to her, pressing her lips violently against his.

"E...Elphaba." He choked out, pulling away. "What--"

"Please, Yero. Don't say anything. Just kiss me."

She looked so vulnerable, so small, that he couldn't do anything _but_ obey her request.

He kissed her.

And soon, their kisses turned into much, much more.

* * *

"Ela looked so crushed tonight. I can't imagine what she must be feeling." Idina said, as she unhooked her bra.

Taye turned down the covers on the bed.

"She doesn't trust easily. And I don't blame her, with the childhood she had. Being abused by her father, ridiculed as a child, teased as a teenager, and then ostrasized as an adult, made a fugitive, basically _forced_ to fake her own death, and then having to leave the only place she's ever called home, with her lover, ending up in a strange city with strange people, and then, to top it off, finding out that her best friend kept the biggest secret of her life from her. If I were Ela, I wouldn't trust easily either."

Dee finished getting ready for bed, and climbed under the covers.

"She trusts us."

Taye sighed, and joined his wife.

"Dee, I think she trusts us because we understand her. We aren't judgemental of her because of her past. Either her or Fiyero. She doesn't have to hide when she's around us. Haven't you noticed that? She's herself."

Dee listened, and then nodded.

"I hadn't noticed."

"She loves you Dee. Ela thinks of you as a mother figure, didn't you notice the way she clung to you tonight? She loves you dearly. She loves both of us. I think.....Elphaba sees the parents she never _had_ in us."

Dee turned to her husband.

"I'm glad. That....she thinks of us as parental figures. I'm glad....she loves us."

* * *

Glinda sat on her bed, dazed.

Elphaba had said that they weren't friends anymore. She'd said that she wished she'd never met Glinda.

_"Anyone who keeps secrets isn't a best friend!"_

It was Elphaba. It had to be. It looked like her. It was her voice.

_"She wasn't trying to protect me! She wasn't trying to do anything! And it's so typical of her! She'd do anything to further her position. Grovel if she had to. Blackmail. Murder."_

Tears stung Glinda's blue eyes as Elphaba's words rang in her head.

_"No. You don't know her like I do. You don't know Glinda Upland like I do. She's an Upland. And an Upland will do anything to get what she wants. And as far as I'm concerned, she's no longer a friend of mine. As far as I'm concerned, I never met Glinda Upland. As far as I'm concerned, Glinda Upland__ never_ existed."

Taking a shuddering breath, Glinda conjured her bubble, and stepped into it, heading for the Emerald Palace. Those people had obviously poisoned Elphie against her. And she was going to get her back.

"Don't worry Elphie, I'm coming to get you."


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera **

**Thanks to -greenTARDISgal-, Pernicia, Elphaba1Fan, ohmycarlisletwilight23, and Sweet Lunacy for reviewing 29.**

**Question: Is Glinda coming to New York?**

**Answer: Yes.....**

Idina looked up from her cup of coffee, to see Elphaba come into the kitchen. The young woman's hair was in tangles, and she wore the black silk robe Dee had given her, the extra one. Dee noticed at once that Elphaba's eyes were red-rimmed, and her lips were slightly swollen from kissing.

"Hey sweetie. Did you sleep okay?"

Elphaba shrugged, and joined Dee after pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"What's this supposed to mean?" Dee asked, shrugging as well. "Yes? No? Maybe?"

Elphaba licked her slightly swollen lips and took a sip of her coffee.

"Y....Yero and I had...."

"Had?" Dee asked, urging.

"Um......we had.....um....."

"S....sex?" The older woman finished for her. Elphaba blushed, embarassed. She nodded.

"I'm really sorry, we never meant to..."

"Don't worry about it, Sweetie. That's _one _of the things a bed is for, isn't it?" She asked, as the two sipped their coffee.

"I'm still sorry."

"Don't be. Taye and I do the same thing. Besides, I'm sure it relieved some of your emotional stress." Elphaba blushed again.

* * *

"Okay, I've got everything. Now, all I need is that necklace." Glinda muttered, looking around.

Her eyes landed on the necklace, left on the table by the monkey, who was in the kitchen, peeling a banana. She grabbed it, and put it around her neck. Then, she turned to the mirror, and waited. The glass turned to liquid, and soon began to swirl.

With a deep breath, Glinda grabbed her purse, and stepped into the vortex.

* * *

Rehearsal got out late.

"Okay, I need coffee." Elphaba said, spreading her arms wide and spinning around. "I didn't have nearly enough before rehearsal."

Fiyero laughed.

"Let's get home. I'm sure dinner is ready and Dee and Taye will probably be worried about us."

"Can we get coffee on the way?" Elphaba asked, taking Fiyero's arm as the two walked down the sidewalk.

"S---"

"Hey Eliana! Frederick!" The young couple turned, to see Kate- or Desi, as the cast called her- hurry up to them.

"Desi, what is it?" The blonde caught her breath as she caught up with the couple.

"Max, Kirra, and I were gonna go out to dinner after rehearsal. Want to come?"

"I'd love to, but we can--" Elphaba started.

"Sure. We'd love to." Fiyero interrupted. Desi smiled. As they headed to the small diner down the street, Elphaba turned to Fiyero.

"What about Dee and Taye?"

"They'll understand."

"Can we afford this?"

"Fae, we both got paid yesterday, and it shouldn't cost much, after all, this is one of the cheapest diners in New York. We need to have a good time."

* * *

It felt like pinpricks all over her body.

Wind swirled around her, and light rushed towards her, blinding the blonde. She screamed, and then, everything went black.

* * *

The small group of actors sat around a table in the Life Cafe, the same cafe that Jonathan Larson's iconic _Rent_ was set during the end of the first act. They laughed and joked, told each other about their backgrounds, and generally enjoyed each other's company.

* * *

Glinda awoke.

Her head throbbed, and she sat up, to find herself in a park. It was late, and people were heading home. Groggily, she got up, gathered her purse, and stumbled from Central Park. She walked until she got to the Life Cafe.

* * *

The small group looked up, to see the young, disoriented blonde enter the cafe and take a table next to their's.

"Looks like someone got drunk." Elphaba muttered to the others, taking a sip of her drink. The others nodded.

Glinda vaguely heard voices coming from the table next to her.

"What can I get you?" She looked up, to see the waiteress.

"Um....just....a cup of coffee." The woman took the order, and soon returned, pouring her a cup, before going to the group at the next table and giving them their bill. Sipping her coffee, Glinda watched as they all reached for it, but one man mananged to get to it first.

"Oh come on."

"You have to let us pay for our share at least."

"How about an even five way split?"

"That's not fair."

"All right, how about this? We pool, and split it five ways?" The others murmured in agreement. The blonde watched as the five set out change and counted it out, making sure they had enough for the check and tip.

"Ready?" Max asked, the others nodded. As they got up, Fiyero and Elphaba shared a quick kiss, before joining their friends. In that brief time, Glinda had finished her coffee, and gotten up to go.

Except, she didn't have money for the coffee.

Seeing her search, Elphaba pulled a five from her purse, and laid it out on the table.

"There. Coffee isn't much here, three dollars at most, plus tip."

"Thank you." Glinda whispered.

"Sure thing." Elphaba said, before letting Fiyero help her pull her coat on. They then took hands, and left. Quickly, Glinda followed. She trailed the small group, who parted ways at Fifth Avenue.

"See you tomorrow."

"Goodnight."

"See ya."

When the others had parted ways, Elphaba turned to Fiyero.

"Should we get home? Dee's probably worried sick." He nodded.

Elphaba turned, stepped into the street, and raised her arm.

"Taxi!"

Glinda watched, as the two climbed into the yellow box on wheels, and left.

* * *

Fiyero pulled Elphaba up the steps to Dee's townhouse.

Glinda had spent her time trying to find her way around this strange city, and found that she had come across the couple at the diner. They appeared to live here.

Fiyero wrapped his arms around Elphaba and kissed her, as she tried to unlock the front door.

"D.....hmm...Dee..... Yero, stop!"

Glinda stopped, hearing the nickname.

Fiyero's nickname.

Only Elphaba called him that.

"I can't help it. I love you Fae." He replied, as he kissed her neck. She cackled, and Glinda's heart stopped.

Elphie.

Finally, Elphaba pushed the door opened, and called out.

"Taye! Dee! We're home!"

Glinda watched, as Elphaba pulled Fiyero into the house, and she soon heard two more voices.

"Where were you?"

"Dee, you can quit worrying now."

"We went to Life with Desi, Max and Kirra for a quick dinner and coffee."

"Ela! Why didn't you tell us?"

"Maybe because we're adults and can take care of ourselves? We _are_ engaged, after all."

"I know, but still--"

"Dee, let it go. They're fine."

"But--"

"How was rehearsal?"

As the door closed, the voices faded, and Glinda was left shocked.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera**

**Thanks to Elphaba1Fan, -greenTARDISgal-, witch-of-the-west9482, ohmycarlisletwilight23, and ghostly bender for reviewing 30.**

Six weeks passed.

The show was coming along great. They had memorized their lines, and had nailed the choreography down. Now, they were working on costumes.

"Well, let's see it."

Elphaba came out from behind the curtain, her face covered in green paint, her long raven hair tumbling around her shoulders.

"It looks great. How does it feel, Elphaba?" Michaels asked, examining her face.

"It feels a little odd. A little...sticky. But overall, all right."

"That's good."

* * *

Glinda wandered around the city. She'd had enough money to rent a room at a Best Western, and bought a pair of pants and a t-shirt at the hotel gift shop.

Street vendors hawked their wares, people pushed past, and taxis honked. Buildings rose higher than the tallest tree. It was smoggy and crowded, noisy.

New York City was huge.

She'd never been in a bigger city. The Emerald City wasn't even half as huge.

However, she was beginning to be able make sense of the city.

And she kept searching for Elphie.

She needed to find her, in order to bring her home.

* * *

"So what are we doing downtown?" Elphaba asked, as she and Dee caught the subway. Skyler was going to meet the two women as well as Taye and Fiyero at a small diner for dinner.

"Meeting the guys for dinner, remember?" Dee asked, as they sat next to each other.

"I know that, but I mean what are we going to be doing before that? We don't meet the others until four. It's eleven."

"I know, but I figured....we'd meet the girls to plan your bachlorette party." Dee told her.

"My bachlorette party? I don't need a bachlorette party."

"Why not?"

"Because," Elphaba started, getting up as the train stopped. "I'm not getting married for at least a year, can't it wait?"

"It can, but why wait, when you could have everything set up so when the time comes, we won't have to plan everything in a rush?" Dee asked, as her cell rang. Michael Jackson's _Black_ _or White_ sounded as Dee pulled it from her purse. "It's Cheno." She stopped, and opened the phone, ending the song and starting the call.

"Hey Cheno, what's---Oh----Really?----Okay---If you're sure----Okay---Okay----I will---Okay---Bye."

She closed the phone, and turned to Elphaba.

"That was Cheno. She has to be at filming today, and apparently, there's a bout of stomach flu going around, the other girls have it, except Sho, she's in Virginia visiting a friend. So the bachlorette planning is called off. You're off the hook, Ela." Elphaba sighed.

"Great. So....what do we do now?" She asked, looking at Dee, who thought a moment.

"Want to head to a bookstore?"

* * *

Four came, and Dee and Elphaba met the others at the small diner for dinner. As they ate, Taye and Dee offered suggestions for the wedding.

"Maybe an outdoor theme?"

"Either outdoor or in a church." Taye said. Elphaba wrinkled her nose.

"Neither Yero or I are very religious."

"Okay, church is out. Um.... a garden wedding?"

"Maybe. But we don't even know when we're going to have the wedding next year." Fiyero said, as he took a sip of his drink.

"Or you could have it at our house. Out in the backyard, and then have the reception in the dining room." Taye stated, taking a bite of his sandwich. He didn't see the look Fiyero and Elphaba shared.

"_Could we_? Taye, could we have it at your house?" Elphaba asked. Taye looked up at her.

"Sure." Dee said, allowing her husband to finish the bite he was eating.

"Would that be okay with you?" Fiyero asked. Skyler moved to open her mouth, when Dee reached out and clamped a hand over her daughter's mouth.

"Don't even _think it_, Sky."

"Of course, you're family." Taye said.

_"Aww. Really?"_ Elphaba asked, a smile breaking out on her face. Dee nodded.

* * *

Glinda looked up, to see the small group leave the diner and come towards her. The blonde had bought a cup of hot chocolate from a street vendor, and walked down the sidewalk, taking in the sights. She had gotten used to the city over the last few weeks. Now, all she had to do was find Elphie and bring her home. Taking a deep breath, Glinda stepped in front of the small group, and spoke up.

"Elphie?"

The Elphaba look-a-like raised her eyebrows.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh Elphie!" Glinda cried, hurrying up to the ravenhead and throwing her arms around the woman's neck. "I found you, thank Oz! And Fiyero! Now that I've found you I can take you back home--"

_"Who are you?"_ Elphaba cried, pushing her away roughly.

"Don't you remember me, Elphie?" Glinda asked, hurt.

"No. I don't."

And with that, she pushed past, the others following. Sky stopped, looked Glinda up and down, and then hurried to catch up.

"Hey Ela! She's even more of a skank than you!"

_"Shut up, Sky!"_


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 31.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera**

**A/N: I got the dea for _Black or White_ as Dee's ringtone because it's the ringtone on my phone.**

******Thanks to Elphaba1Fan, -greenTARDISgal-, witch-of-the-west9482, ohmycarlisletwilight23, Sweet Lunacy, and ghostly bender for reviewing 31.**

**Questions, questions! Where to start.....**

**Question: If Glinda looks and sounds the same, wouldn't Elphaba recognize her?**

**Answer: She does recognize her, but she's still miffed about the whole 'Wizard is really her father' thing. **

**Question: It's been a while, but how could she forget her best friend?**

**Answer: Elphaba's playing the amnesia card for a while until she calms down.**

**Question: Was it actually elphaba?**

**Answer: Yes, it is Elphaba.**

**Question: If so why does she not recognise elphaba?**

**Answer: Remember, Elphaba is degreenified. She has the same raven hair, brown eyes, voice, and facial features, but Glinda hasn't seen Elphaba in weeks, so seeing Elphaba without the green skin is a shock, and she's confused. She's used to having a green Elphie.**

**Question: Or is she just pretending?**

**Answer: No, she's.....genuinley confused....this _is_ Glinda, we're talking about....**

"Ready?" Fiyero asked, as the couple stood backstage. Elphaba nodded.

"Yeah."

Company preview had rolled around, and the cast was performing for any who wanted to come watch at the Gershwin. Taye, Dee, and Sky were in the audience, claiming the front row with the others from the original_ Wicked_ cast.

"I can't do this." Elphaba whispered, backing up against Fiyero.

"You'll do fine." He whispered softly, kissing her cheek.

"All right everyone, gather around." They joined the rest of the cast and said a small group prayer before the overture music began.

Elphaba stood backstage, watching as the show began. Finally, it was her turn.

From the moment she stepped onstage, the rest of the show was a blur, so caught up in the magic of performing, was she.

* * *

Curtain call came and went, and the cast waited backstage for friends and well wishers to come greet them.

"Ela! You did great!"

Elphaba looked up, to see a blur of brown hair and then she felt Dee's arms around her neck.

"Thanks Dee." As the two pulled apart, Elphaba asked, "How was it?"

"Amazing. It's going to be great. And you'll do fine."

"Thanks."

* * *

"It was....I can't describe it...." Elphaba started.

"I know." Dee told her.

The two women were sitting on the sofa, a towel underneath them, as they did each other's toenails.

"It's so..."

"I know."

"I never thought it'd be possible to...."

"I know."

Dee laughed, nodding at Elphaba's inability to form complete sentences. They lapsed into silence, and just enjoyed the steady rhythm of their work.

"What do you think?" Dee asked, showing Elphaba her toes. The younger woman's toes were a nice light pink. "Want me to change it?"

"No. I like it." Elphaba said. She was painting Dee's toes a pretty light green.

When they finished, they sat talking, allowing the paint to dry.

"So when do you want the wedding?" Dee asked, taking a sip of tea.

"You know, Yero and I have been talking....and we've decided that.....we want to have the wedding this year. Maybe this September." Elphaba said, looking up at Dee.

"That's great."

"You don't think it's too soon?"

"Honey, it's your wedding. You can have it whenever you want." Dee told her, as she watched Elphaba sip her tea. Elphaba nodded.

"Okay. September." Elphaba said, setting her cup down and getting up. She went to the kitchen, where Taye and Fiyero were sitting at the kitchen table, talking softly.

"Where are you going?" Dee asked, getting up and following. Silent, Elphaba snuck up behind Fiyero, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She kissed his cheek, and squeezed gently, before letting go and placing herself on his lap, her arms going around his neck.

"September." Fiyero's brows knit in confusion.

"What about it?"

"Remember how we were talking about pushing the wedding up sooner? Let's have the wedding in September. Here. At Dee and Taye's house. That's okay, right?"

Taye nodded, as Dee came over and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Great. So we'll have the wedding and reception here."

"In September." Fiyero confirmed.

"September." Elphaba said, chuckling.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33. **

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera**

**A/N: Yero and Elphie arrived in New York in June. **

**A/N: I blanked on the whole ceremony, so I found myweddingvows(dot)com that has all kinds of vows and things, so I just put something together from the vow and ceremonies in the site. I think it fits, after all, Yero and Elphie are unique, so shouldn't their wedding ceremony be just as unique? Most of the vows belong to myweddingvows(dot)com. I did managed to come up with a couple things off the top of my head, but not a lot. Hope you like.**

**A/N: The reception is next........**

**Thanks to -greenTARDISgal-, Sweet Lunacy, and ohmycarlisletwilight23 for reviewing 32.**

September rolled around before they knew it.

Elphaba and Fiyero had gotten used to the city by now, and Dee noticed that her friends had turned into true New Yorkers. The acquired accents were a clue.

"Now, all we need is to add the veil." Dee said, as she picked the white veil up, and beckoned Elphaba towards her. Once she was close enough, she placed the headband holding the veil onto Elphaba's head, and smoothed it down. "There."

"Thank you." Elphaba whispered. She then turned to the full length mirror in Dee and Taye's room, and studied her reflection. The dress hugged her curves, showing off her figure. Her long, raven hair was in curls that tumbled down her back, and the veil showered down her back in a waterfall effect. Dee had done her makeup in light pinks and reds. "Well, how do I look?"

Dee stepped up behind her.

"You look beautiful. The only thing you're missing, is your bouquet." And she held the flowers out to her. Elphaba gave her a smile, and took the bouquet. "Ready?"

Elphaba nodded, tears in her eyes.

"Now don't start crying. You're mascara will run and you'll be late for your own wedding." Dee joked, wiping a tear off Elphaba's cheek.

"Thank you." Elphaba said, throwing her arms around Dee's neck.

* * *

"Dearly beloved, we're gathered here today, in this place of natural beauty to be joyful, in celebration of the relationship of Eliana and Frederick. This is a special time of celebration that Eliana and Frederick will long remember, and because of this, they are thankful you are here to share their joy. From the dawn of human history, it has been customary for the community to place its seal of approval upon the union of two persons in marriage. If these solemn vows that they are about to make are kept faithfully, God will bless their marriage. It is one of life's richest surprises when the accidental meeting of two life paths lead them to proceed together along the common path as husband and wife. It is one of life's finest experiences when a casual relationship grows into a permanent bond of love. This meeting and this growth bring us together today." Elphaba glanced at Fiyero, and they shared a smile, gently squeezing hands.

"The union of husband and wife in heart, body, and mind is intended by God for their mutual joy; for the help and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity; and, when it is God's will, for the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord. Therefore, marriage is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly; but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted by God. It is fitting to speak briefly about love. We live in a world of joy and fear and search for meaning and strength in the seeming disorder. We discover the truest guideline to our quest when we realize love in all its magnitudes. Love is the eternal force of life. Love is the force that allows us to face fear and uncertainty with courage. But, you must "be of love a little more careful than of anything." For the giving of yourself in love is difficult: you must learn to give of your love without total submission of yourself. Therefore, in your giving, give your joy, your sadness, your interest, your understanding, and your knowledge–all expressions that make up life. But in this giving, remember to preserve yourself–your integrity, your individuality. This is the challenge of love within marriage."

The pastor then turned to the couple.

"If there is anyone who objects to this marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Elphaba looked around, fear flashing in her eyes.

Nothing.

Even Sky kept her mouth shut. That was a first.

"Well, seeing as no one here objects, shall we continue?" Elphaba and Fiyero nodded.

"Frederick, do you, take this woman, Eliana, to be your wife, according to God's holy decree; do you promise to be to her a loving and loyal husband, to cherish and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, to be faithful only to her as long as you both shall live?"

Fiyero nodded, smiling at Elphaba.

"I do."

He turned to Elphaba.

"Eliana, do you, take this man, Frederick, to be your husband, according to God's holy decree; do you promise to be to him a loving and loyal wife, to cherish and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, to be faithful only to him as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

He nodded.

"Now, at this time, Frederick and Eliana have prepared their own vows for the ceremony." He nodded to Fiyero to begin. Taking a deep breath, Fiyero turned to Elphaba, and squeezed her hand lightly.

"Eliana, when we first met, I thought you were the oddest woman I'd ever laid eyes on. You're quick temper, compassionate heart, and independent streak drew me to you instantly. What....others saw as.....disturbing....I saw as unique. Beautiful. You talk about your many flaws and how you wish you could change them. You say you see nothing beautiful when you look in the mirror, but....I see a beautiful woman with spirit. Someone capable of speaking her mind, standing up for what she believes is right. Eliana, I give myself to you completely, and I promise to love you always, from this day forth. I will serve you with tenderness and respect, and encourage you to develop God's gifts in you. I will take you to be my wife, according to God's holy decree: to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do we part: and to that I pledge you my faithfulness."

Elphaba let out a gentle laugh, and Fiyero squeezed her hand.

"Eliana, you are my best friend. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle. I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple, and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard all the days of our life. I bring myself to you this day to share my life with you; you can trust my love, for it's real. I promise to be a faithful mate and to unfailingly share and support your hopes, dreams and goals. I vow to be there for you always; when you fall, I will catch you; when you cry, I will comfort you; when you laugh, I will share your joy. And from the moment I wake up, to the moment I lay back down, I'll see the beautiful, fiery, independent woman I fell in love with, no matter how many years pass or how many struggles we get through. You're unique, the most amazing woman I've every met, and I look forward to sharing the rest of my life with you."

The pastor nodded, and turned to Elphaba. She took a deep breath, and started.

"Frederick, I never knew what it was like to be loved. I'd never experienced it during my childhood. So when I met you, I was certain I'd never fall in love with you. We were from two different worlds, but soon, I found that I did indeed fall for you, and I fell hard. I....fell in love with your... easy-going personality, your.....heart....your spirit. You treated me like no one ever had before, you listened when I needed to talk, you supported me through everything I've ever done. You love me for me, and I can't think of a better way to thank you than by becoming your wife." Elphaba's voice was thick with tears.

"You are my once-in-a-lifetime, my miracle. May our lives intermingle and our love grow as we become one. You are all I could ever need in my life, my friend, my lover, my everything.  
I promise to be faithful to you, to love you, honor you, live with you and cherish you, according to the commandments of God, in the holy bond of marriage. Because of you Frederick, I laugh, I smile, I dare to dream again. I used to be afraid of falling in love, of giving my heart away. How could I trust a man to love me, to give to me all that I wanted to give to him, when I'd never been given that chance? When I met you, I realized how much we could share together. You have renewed my life: Today I join that life with yours. Where there has been cold,  
you have brought warmth; where my life was dark, you have brought light. It's because of you, that I can dream again, and actually dare to make my dreams come true. Frederick, I want to start this life with you, first by making you my husband, and soon I want to make you a father. I want to love you for the rest of my life, unconditionally."

When Elphaba finished, she looked to the pastor.

"Do we have the rings?"

Taye pulled the rings out of his pocket, and handed them to the pastor.

"The wedding ring is the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two loyal hearts in endless love. It is a seal of the vows Frederick and Eliana have made to one another. Bless O God these rings, that Eliana and Frederick, who give them, and who wear them, may ever abide in thy peace. Living together in unity, love and happiness for the rest of their lives."

He handed Fiyero the ring.

"Eliana, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, With this ring, I thee wed."

Gently, he slipped the small gold band on Elphaba's finger. She let out a tear filled gasp, giving him a watery smile, and then took the ring from the pastor, before turning to Fiyero.

"Frederick, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, With this ring, I thee wed."

When they had exchanged rings, the pastor spoke.

"In as much as you have each pledged to the other your lifelong commitment, love and devotion, I now pronounce you husband and wife, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder." He watched Elphaba and Fiyero fidget, saw how desparate they were to kiss, and chuckled.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride!"

They didn't move, unsure if they'd heard correctly.

"Well, just don't stand there, go on, kiss her."

The two relaxed, and Fiyero pulled Elphaba into his arms. She put her arms around his neck, and then their lips met in a gentle kiss that soon turned passionate. Gently, he lifted her off her feet, and continued to kiss her, to applause and cheers. Finally, they pulled away, and turned to their audience. Dee had tears in her eyes. Elphaba took Fiyero's hand, and pulled him towards the back door of the house. When they got to the end of the makeshift aisle Dee and Taye had set up, Fiyero pulled Elphaba into his arms and kissed her deeply, dipping her. Dee's voice caused the couple to break apart.

"Everyone, enjoy the reception!"

The young couple looked back to see Dee and Taye watching them, tears in their eyes. They turned back to each other, and Fiyero scooped Elphaba into his arms and spun her around, to the delight of the guests. Elphaba's laugh echoed through the air, the very example of wedded bliss.


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34. **

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera**

**A/N: It was really hard not to use _Where Do I Begin_, but I finally decided not to because everyone seems to use that song in fanfics. So I used one of Dee's lesser known songs, _So Beautiful_, from her album, _Here_. I think the song fits Elphie and Yero and how they feel about each other, don't you?**

**A/N: I also used _Minuet_ from Dee's _Still I Can't Be Still._**

**A/N: I'm so glad you all liked the wedding. Here's the reception.....**

**Thanks to -greenTARDISgal-, ghostly bender, ohmycarlisletwilight23, Elphaba1Fan, and Sweet Lunacy for reviewing 33. **

**Question: Where's Glinda now?**

**Answer: You'll find out.... just not in this chapter....**

The reception was held in the house. Dee and Taye had ordered catering from a friend who ran his own restaurant, and had ordered the cake from one of Dee's close friends. They had kept all of it hidden until the wedding, not wanting Fiyero and Elphaba to see it until the wedding. Now, they held the doors open for the young couple, and watched as the new bride and groom stared wide-eyed at the reception. Dee and Taye had gone all out, with plates of food, tables had been set up around the room, and there was a space to dance. Mouths open in shock, Elphaba and Fiyero turned to look at Taye and Dee. Both gave them huge smiles.

"Go on." Dee said. She waved them forward. Fiyero took her hand and led her into the house. Then, the guests followed.

Silently, Dee snuck up behind Elphaba and hugged her. The young bride turned.

"Dee, you didn't have to do this." Elphaba told her, hugging her.

"I know, but I wanted too. You deserved your fairytale wedding. Taye and I wanted to give it to you."

"How can you afford this?" Fiyero asked.

"The caterer and the baker are close friends of ours." Taye said, shaking Fiyero's hand.

"Well, shall we eat?" Dee asked, pulling away from Elphaba.

* * *

"It's time for the bride and groom to share the first dance." Dee said, motioning for Fiyero and Elphaba to take their places in the middle of the floor. Elphaba's arms went around his neck, and Fiyero's arms went around her waist. They waited for the music to start, and when it didn't, they turned to look at Dee. She turned on the music, but then quietly cleared her throat. "You two better start dancing, or I'm not going to sing."

Elphaba's mouth fell open.

"You're....going to....." Dee nodded.

"Yep, now dance, Ela." Blushing, Elphaba did as told, slowly, they began swaying to the music, as Dee started singing.

_"Sometimes I watch you when you're sleeping  
I see you're having dreams tonight  
And I know just by the way you're breathing.  
That I'm a vision in your mind"_

Elphaba allowed Fiyero to lead, and the two started a gentle waltz, before just simply swaying back and forth to the gentle rhythm of Dee's voice. At first, Elphaba spent her time staring off into space, but soon, she spent it staring into Fiyero's eyes.

_"Wherever you may go my love,  
Wherever you may be.  
And all that matters in this world  
Is just lying next to me  
So sleep tight sweetheart, you're free_

_So beautiful, you make me smile  
So wonderful, you're in my life  
Incredible, that you are mine.  
So beautiful, you give me life  
You bring me joy you bring me sight"_

Elphaba let out a soft chuckle, and lowered her head.

"What's so funny?" Fiyero asked, intrigued.

"This truly is our song. It describes exactly how I feel about you." She whispered, gently cupping his neck under her fingertips.

"I guess you're right. It is our song."

_"I watch the way you love your family  
And how everyone looks to you  
And I don't want to be here standing  
If you didn't hold me, Baby hold me up like you do_

_Wherever I may go, my love  
Wherever I may be  
I know my dreams will find you  
Just lying next to me  
So sleep tight sweetheart, you're free"_

"Well it did until it talked about family. We currently don't have one of those." Fiyero said.

"I thought we were a family."

"Two makes a couple, love, but three make a family." He whispered.

"Are you suggesting we make one of our own?" She asked, pressing her forehead against his. He chuckled.

"Not right now, Miss Elphaba, but soon. Very, very soon." They lapsed into silence, and then Elphaba spoke, a faraway look in her eyes.

"What about Dee, Sky, and Taye? Aren't they our family?"

"In a sense. They're not family by blood or marriage so much as by friendship. So yes, in a sense, they are."

"But we should still make our own family." She said slowly, giving him a smile.

"Yes. We should still make our own family. Someday. We will create our own children; beautiful, raven-haired children."

"Don't forget blue-eyed. I want them to have your eyes, Yero."

"They'll be absolutely gorgeous."

_"So beautiful, you make me smile  
So wonderful, you're in my life  
Incredible, that you are mine.  
So beautiful, you give me life  
You bring me joy you bring me sight_

_You help me see  
The woman that I know I am,  
But always was afraid to be  
You show me how live every moment like it's the last  
And be all that I am  
(You're so beautiful)"_

"What do you think they're talking about?" Taye turned, to see Sho behind him.

She and Elphaba had gotten to be almost as close as she and Dee were. The older woman thought of Elphaba as a younger sister, and the three spent time partaking in activites sisters would do- from shopping to just sitting at a small corner cafe drinking coffee and chatting.

"I have no idea. But whatever it is, they obviously agree, and it's obviously something Ela really wants, from the way she's smiling. Her cheeks are going to be so sore tomorrow from all that smiling." Sho joked.

_"So beautiful, you make me smile  
So wonderful, you're in my life  
Incredible, that you are mine.  
So beautiful, you give me life  
You bring me joy you bring me sight_

_You're so, so, so beautiful  
Baby"_

The song finished, and the guests broke into applause. Elphaba and Fiyero both gave Dee a hug, and soon it was time for Elphaba to toss the bouquet. She moved to the dance floor, and waited with her back to the guests as the single women gathered behind her.

"Go on Sky."

"No way!" The sixteen-year-old planted her feet, and would have won, if her father hadn't shoved her to the front of the group. Elphaba watched over her shoulder, and gave Taye a small smile and nod, before turning back to the bouquet in her hands.

"Ready girls?" Elphaba asked. A murmur went up, except for Sky, who didn't move. On three, she threw the bouquet over her shoulder. It hit the ceiling.

"Come on Ela, you're supposed to throw it to the girls, not the ceiling." Dee called, as Taye wrapped her in his arms.

"Oh shut up Dee!" Elphaba replied, picking up the bouquet and then returning to her place in front of the girls. "Ready?"

"On three, Ela!" Dee cried. Elphaba threw the bouquet again, and this time, it went to the girls instead of the ceiling. A couple of the girls scrambled to catch it, just as Elphaba turned. No one was expecting it to land where it did.

In Sky's arms.

Elphaba let out a surprised gasp, as Sky looked at the bouquet of roses in her arms.

"Looks like you'll be planning your daughter's wedding soon, Taye!" Norbert called.

Dee looked back at Taye.

"What's Leo talking about?" She looked back, to see Sky coming over to her. She held Elphaba's bouquet in her hands. Elphaba, meanwhile, had taken a seat in the chair that had been set up for the garter removal.

"You caught the bouquet, Sky?" Dee asked, shocked.

"Yeah." The girl replied, looking at the flowers from all different angles. "So, can I get married after Elphaba?" Taye took the bouquet from her and laid it on the table.

"Yes."

"Really?"

He nodded. "When you turn fifty."

"Dad!"

"Okay, here's the deal. You have to remove Elphie's garter, with your teeth. Okay Yero?" Norbert said, as Elphaba blushed. He patted her shoulder.

"It's a normal part of the reception. It happened at my and Michelle's wedding, and Dee and Taye's wedding. You have nothing to worry about, all you have to do is sit there and relax, it's Yero that has to do the work." Elphaba nodded, giving Norbert a small smile.

"Are you filling her head with ideas, Leo?" Elphaba looked up to see Michelle standing across from him, hands on hips.

"I'm just reassuring her that it's not as bad as it seems."

"Sure." Michelle said, shooing him away.

"So, is it really that bad?" Elphaba asked. Michelle shook her head.

"No. All you have to do is lift your skirt up and let him pull the garter down. It's not bad at all." Michelle told her, squeezing her shoulder as she joined her husband.

"Ready Yero?" Elphaba asked, turning to her husband. He chuckled.

"I think the question should be, are _you_ ready?" He asked, kneeling in front of her. She laughed.

* * *

"Yero!" Elphaba let out a squeal as her husband left kisses along her leg. She felt his teeth gently graze her skin as he got hold of the garter, and pulled it down her leg. She felt the elastic of the garter pass over her toes, and she looked up, to see Fiyero take the garter from his mouth, and toss it over his shoulder.

"Finally. I don't know about you, but I hate the taste of lace and elastic." He said, leaning to meet Elphaba. She leaned forward, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Maybe I can make that taste go away." She whispered, as their lips met.

"I know you can."

The guests applauded as the two kissed, and Fiyero pulled her from the chair into his arms, dipping her.

"Oh my god!" Sky cried, shocked.

"All right you two, let's cut the cake!" Dee called.

* * *

Once the cake was cut, and eaten, dancing continued. Fiyero pulled Elphaba on the dance floor, and Taye put one of Dee's cds on. As the dance floor filled slowly,_ Minuet_ started.

_"If we move in together  
Will I still be a slob  
Will things get ordinary  
Will I piss you off  
'cause I don't cook_

_Throw my clothes on the floor  
And I mix the darks and whites  
Oh baby your kisses are pure  
And the sex lasts for hours  
You want me the less I shower  
I'm a sight for sore eyes  
In your old tighy whities  
But you love me anyway"_

Elphaba let Fiyero spin her, and as he brought her back into his arms, she asked, "Would you still love me if I acted that way?"

"Always." He replied, kissing her. Dee and Taye watched the young couple.

"Can't you two go for thirty minutes without kissing each other?" Dee asked.

"No. Can't you?" Elphaba asked, raising an eyebrow. Dee thought a moment.

"Good point." Dee said finally.

"What point?" Elphaba asked. Dee turned, and cupped Taye's face in her hands. Then, she leaned towards him and kissed him.

_"I thank god for seeing the light  
And not going out with some lawyer type  
'cause your a poet  
A renaissance man  
A little boy with  
Really strong hands_

_So many things going through my mind  
Sometimes it gets scary  
But when you're on my side  
The world may be chaotic  
The skies may explode  
But we'll be okay"_

Elphaba pulled Fiyero out the French doors. They stood on the small deck, arms wrapped around each other. The music filtered out to them.

"Are you happy?" She asked, fingering the lapel on his jacket.

"Unbelievably. Are you?" She nodded.

"Completely."

Their lips met, and the kiss turned from innocent and sweet to fiery and passionate. So caught up in the kiss were they, that they didn't notice that some of the guests were watching.

_"Baby-this much I know  
And the minuet between the heart and  
The breath  
Is my lullby  
And the minuet between the heart and  
The breath  
Rocks me every time  
And the minuet between the heart and  
The breath  
Saves my life_

_As I lay upon your chest  
I'm satisfied  
I'd like to have babies with you  
Like to have maybe two join a carpool and  
Sing the kids to bed they can  
Have your coloring and  
My movie rental addiction"_

They broke apart when they realized they were being watched. Dee stood leaning against the door, a smile on her face. She raised an eyebrow, and chuckled.

"What?" Elphaba asked.

"Nothing. You just....look like you're in love."

"I am." Elphaba said. She let out a laugh as Fiyero scooped her up. He gently pressed his forehead to hers. A flash was seen, and the everyone turned to see Taye checking the film in his camera. Elphaba and Fiyero didn't notice however. By now, they were kissing gently, Elphaba cupping Fiyero's cheek in her palm. The flash was seen again. Neither noticed.

_"They can be antisocial just like us  
And they can choose their very  
Own religion they can climb into  
Bed in the middle of the night and  
Sleep in your arms, hypnotized_

_So many things going through my mind  
Sometimes it gets scary  
But when you're on my side  
The world may be chaotic  
The skies may explode  
But we'll be okay"_

When the young couple came back in, they joined Dee and Taye at one of the tables.

"Worn out?" Dee asked, leaning back in the chair. Elphaba nodded.

"My feet are killing me."

"Then go barefoot." Dee said nonchalantly, as if telling her friend to go barefoot were as normal as discussing how rehearsal went.

"Could I? Would you mind?"

"Yes, I would. You have hammer toes from your years as a Pointe dancer, and I think they're disgusting." Dee said, sarcasm dripping from every word. Elphaba paled. When she saw the look on Elphaba's face, she chuckled softly. "No. I _don't_ mind. Why do you have to ask, Ela? You live here too. You've gone barefoot whenever you wanted. Of course I don't mind."

Dee finished her little spcheal, by removing her own heels and dropping them on the floor. Elphaba slowly followed suit, whispering softly,

"We don't live here. We're visiting. And when we get back from our honeymoon, we'll be out of your hair."

_"Baby-this much I know  
And the minuet between the heart and  
The breath  
Is my lullby  
And the minuet between the heart and  
The breath  
Rocks me every time  
And the minuet between the heart and  
The breath  
Saves my life_

_As I lay upon your chest  
I'm satisfied  
Alright-everything's gonna be  
Alright__  
Alright-everything's gonna be alright"_

Dee looked at her, confused.

"What? Ela, what are you talking about?"

Elphaba met her eyes.

"You're not visiting. You and Yero are living with us."

Elphaba shook her head.

"No we don't."

"Yes you do."

"Not anymore." She gave the older woman a small smile. "We took Sho's advice."

It finally connected with Dee. Her eyes widened, and she gasped.

"You....you and Yero....." Elphaba nodded. "Where?"

_"So if all the things we want  
Are just out of reach  
We move to the midwest  
And you start to teach  
I'm a woulda, coulda, shoulda  
A one hit wonder_

_I'm pretty sure we'd be okay  
'cause if the skin on your chest  
Still feels that way  
From the sandalwood oil  
That you dab in the middle  
I think maybe, maybe  
Baby...  
We'd miss it-a little"_

"Westbeth. Apartment 623." She whispered, and slid a key along the table towards Dee.

"What's this?" Dee's dark eyes traveled down to the key under her fingertips. Elphaba pulled away, taking with her the warmth of her fingers.

"A key to our apartment."

"Why are you giving it to me?"

"Because," Elphaba sighed, and took a sip of her wine. "Yero and I want you to have it."

"But you need it-"

"We have our keys. Yero and I had an extra made for you and Taye."

"Why?"

"So you can come visit us whenever you want. You'll always be welcome." Elphaba said, repeating what she'd told Dee three moths earlier. "I promise."

Dee smiled at her, wiping tears off her cheeks, before letting Elphaba hug her.

"Thank you."


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35. **

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera**

**A/N: You won't see Glinda until _maybe_ the next chapter. **

**A/N: Elphie and Yero's honeymoon......wedding night included.....**

**A/N: WARNING: STEAMYNESS AHEAD!!!! IF YOU DON'T LIKE ELPHIE/YERO LOVE, STOP HERE!!!**

**Thanks to ohmycarlisletwilight23, Elphaba1Fan, TwilightismyOBSESSION, and Sweet Lunacy for reviewing 34.**

The reception ended around midnight.

"Are you sure you don't need us to help clean up?" Fiyero asked, as the guests helped clean up. Taye shook his head.

"No. We've got it. You two get out of here, you have a plane to catch."

"You sure? Cause we can stay and help. We don't have to leave yet." Elphaba said, joining them. Taye stopped collecting the silverware and looked at her.

"Dee!"

"What is it Taye?" She asked, joining them.

"Would you please tell Yero and Ela to get out of here so they don't miss their honeymoon. They want to stay and help clean up."

Dee looked at them, shocked.

"You want to stay? You can't stay. You have a plan to catch." She took their hands, turned them around, and gave them both good shoves towards the door. Their bags had been packed and were waiting in the taxi for them.

"But--"

"No buts, Ela. Get going. Now." Dee ordered, giving Elphaba a good shove out the door. The bride turned to her.

"Thank you." She and then Fiyero hugged Dee, and climbed into the cab.

* * *

Elphaba slipped out of the bathroom, and moved to Fiyero. He stood looking out the window at the stars. Silently, she slipped her arms around his waist, and kissed his shoulder.

"What are you looking at?"

"The stars."

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" She asked. He nodded, and turned in her arms.

Dee, Taye, Sho, and the others in the _Wicked_ revival cast had pitched together and bought them plane tickets and a hotel room in the Ledgelawn Inn in Bar Harbor, Maine. Bar Harbor was a gorgeous coastal town, with old Victorian houses, and rich history, as well as some damn good lobster. When Yero and Elphie had gotten to Bar Harbor, they'd checked into the Ledgelawn Inn, and then taken a walk around the town, admiring the houses and pointing out ships on the shoreline. The motel they were staying in, was a beautiful old house built in the late 1890s-early 1900s.

The legend goes, that the man who built Ledgelawn, built it for his daughter on her wedding day. But on the day of the wedding, the groom jilted his daughter, and the young bride was so distraught, that she fled to her room on the third floor, and hanged herself with her own veil. What was supposed to be a day of happiness, was turned into day of tragedy. Now, as legend stated, the White Lady wandered the grounds of Ledgelawn waiting for her groom.

"So, should we change into something...." Elphaba whispered, raising on her toes to whisper in his ear. "lighter?" The smile that met her mirrored her own. Gently, she pulled away, went to her bag, and rummaged through it, before grabbing something and heading to the bathroom.

She came back later, dressed in sheer, nude stockings with lace on the top, and nude garters. She wore a white Georgette halter babydoll, and a pair of white high heels. Victoria's Secret was the main source of things for the honeymoon. The girls had surprised her with a basket of things for their wedding night-all from the famous clothing store. Elphaba's long hair tumbled in curls down her back. She looked gorgeous.

Tentatively, she moved to Fiyero, and reached up, kissing him softly. He tasted peppermint on her lips. When she pulled away, she moved to the door.

"Now where are you going?" He asked, following. He caught her around the waist, and she turned in his arms, pulling open the door. Quietly, she slipped the Do Not Disturb sign onto the door and closed it.

"Privacy will be needed, don't you think?" She asked, smiling as he kissed her. When they finally broke apart, he pulled her back to the bed, and wrapped his arms around her waist. The lights were off, and the sun was setting, casting twilight into the room. Slowly, his hands slid under her nightie, and gently, they caressed her buttocks.

"A thong?" She nodded.

"Dee's idea." He chuckled. Elphaba sighed, feigning bordem, and began to play with the buttons on Fiyero's shirt, undoing them and then pushing the shirt off his shoulders, until his bare chest rested under her fingers. "Are we going to undress or not?" She whispered, before placing a gentle kiss on his chest. Her lips soon moved from his chest, to his neck, and she smiled when she hit a particularly sensetive spot under his ear. He groaned, and then pushed Elphaba away, looking at her for a moment before crashing his lips against hers.

His hands moved up her back, and reached the tie that held the halter up. In one swift motion, he'd untied it, and the straps fell, revealing her breasts. As he slipped the babydoll off her body, Elphaba's hands worked on his pants, popping the button and unzipping the zipper. She pushed them off him, and his pants and her babydoll dropped to the floor at the same time. Lips still locked, they stepped out of them, and moved to the bed. As they tumbled back onto the plush blankets, they broke apart, and looked at each other.

Then, Elphaba sat up, and moved to Fiyero. She hooked a finger into the waistband of his boxers, and smirked. Gently, she tugged, until he removed them, and then she removed her thong, stockings, and garters. They sat on the bed, admiring the other's beauty. Finally, Fiyero leaned over and kissed her.

They tumbled back on the bed, and soon, gave in to the passion they'd been controlling since the wedding.

"Oh Yero." The moan escaped her lips, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. His hands slid down her body, moved to her thighs, and between her legs. Gently, he massaged her inner thighs, parting her. He braced himself gently against her, his elbows beneath her arms, and she dug her nails into his back gently, tugging him to her. "Take me."

"Are you sure?" He whispered, looking into her eyes. What shone in those brown orbs wasn't fear or uncertainty, but passion, longing, and above all.......love. What shone in her eyes was a silent urging, a silent yes.

Gently, he kissed her, and slowly, gently, cautiously, he entered her. It didn't hurt, like it had the first time they had made love, back in the woods of Oz, the night of Nessa's death. Unlike Glinda, Elphaba was no virgin.

She was loving, tender, gentle, even fierce in her lovemaking. She loved with her whole heart and body, doing everything to bring pleasure to herself and the one she loved. She was passionate, sometimes violent in her sexual exploits. She gave herself over to passion, gave in to the pleasure of intercourse. She enjoyed the feeling of having her body manipulated to the point of utter pleasure.

Fiyero knew this. He knew how to bring her to her breaking point, how to manipulate her body to reach it's peak. He knew how to be tender, gentle, he knew the rhythm that ran her body, and he matched it, making their lovemaking a passionate, wonderful symphony. And right now, he wanted nothing more than to bring than symphony to life.

Tenderly, gently, he entered her, and Elphaba urged him on.

"Harder! Yero, please, harder!"

Their lips met, and they let their passion take them. Soon, they became swept up in the symphony that was their love, their bodies connecting in ways others could only dream of.

"Faster Yero, deeper, please!"

Soon, their cries of escasty mingled, their love finally, totally, completely, consummated, as husband and wife. They soon collapsed, slick with sweat....

....Fiyero awoke, to the feel of someone's fingers tracing gentle circles on his chest. He stirred, and looked up, to see Elphaba laying on his chest, watching him.

"Hey." She whispered. He smiled at her.

"Hey."

"What are you doing, love?"

She smiled, and snuggled into him.

"Watching you sleep."

He sighed, content, and checked the bedside clock.

Four ten.

"Let's get back to sleep, love." He whispered. She curled into his embrace.

"Can we do it again after we sleep?" A soft, sleep-filled chuckle came from his lips.

"Of course, my love. Of course."

"Good. Because I like it."

Another chuckle.

"So do I, my love. So do I."


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera**

**Thanks to Pernicia for reviewing 34, and ohmycarlisletwilight23 for reviewing 35.**

On the last night of their honeymoon, Yero took Elphie out to this small, seaside restaurant, and they enjoyed lobster and a good glass of red wine, as well as a wonderful, gentle conversation. Afterwards, they walked back to the hotel in the early evening light. When they got back to their hotel room, they collapsed on the bed; the two had packed their bags earlier that day, and now just wanted to relax before they had to catch some sleep; their flight left at seven the next morning.

"Tonight was wonderful, thank you, Yero."

He settled next to her on the bed, and gently pulled her to him. His fingers moved to her jeans, and tugged gently at her waistband. She smiled at him, and leaned up, kissing him. Slowly, their kisses turned....

* * *

The key slid into the lock, and turned.

Fiyero watched Elphaba open the door to their apartment, and once it was open slightly, he scooped her into his arms, causing her to cry out, and grab at his neck.

"Yero!" She cried, startled.

"Yes, my love?" He asked, as he pushed the door open with his hip and entered the apartment, carrying her bridal style.

"What are you doing?"

"Carrying my bride over the threshold." He replied, kissing her. When they pulled away and he set her down, they wrapped their arms around each other and continued the kiss, before the sound of something in the kitchen caused them to break apart.

"Yero, what was that?" Elphaba asked, moving closer to him.

"I'm not sure. But let's go check...stay close." And he led her into the kitchen, holding her close; they stopped, seeing two cups of tea on the counter.

"Hey." Dee popped up from underneath the counter, causing both Elphaba and Fiyero to jump. "How was the honeymoon?"

"Dee!" Elphaba hurried around the counter and threw her arms around her friend. Dee gave the younger woman a strong hug, and then pulled away.

"How was it?"

"Wonderful. Thank you."

* * *

After a wonderful dinner, Dee and Taye headed home, letting Fiyero and Elphaba unpack and relax. They spent most of the night lounging in the living room, catching up in their rest. They went to bed around midnight, and slept most of the next day.

* * *

It was a week later, that Elphaba woke up sick.

She spent most of her time in the bathroom, with her head in the toilet.

When she finally entered the kitchen, she looked like death warmed over.

"You feeling all right, sweetheart?" Fiyero asked, reaching out to feel her forehead. Elphaba nodded.

"I'm okay, I'm just tired. It's probably the jet lag catching up to me." She said, sitting at the bar counter. He handed her a cup of tea, and gently kissed her.

"You sure you're okay?" She nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

"You sure?"

"Yes Yero. I'm okay. I promise." She let him kiss her, before she rushed back to the bathroom.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera**

**Thanks to -greenTARDISgal-, Happy Loving Heroes, Elphaba1Fan, amd ohmycarlisletwilight23 for reviewing 36.**

**Question: Is she......pregnant?**

**Answer: I'm not saying....read for yourselves.....**

Three days later, Elphaba slipped into the bathroom, and closed the door. Fiyero was helping Dee and Taye with something at the house, while Elphaba stayed home and rested.

She set the small, plastic bag on the bathroom counter, and pulled out the box holding the test. She had picked up a couple, and hoped that they both said the same thing: negative. She didn't want a baby, not now, not when her career was just taking off, and she was getting used to life in New York. She was enjoying being Fiyero's wife; she didn't want to have to share him with anyone,_ least_ of all a baby. Not now.

Taking a shaky breath, she opened the test.....

* * *

Lines.

Two lines.

Two, dark horizontal lines.

She sighed, and clenched her jaw.

No.

It had to be a false positive.

She couldn't be pregnant. She couldn't.

But the evidence was staring her in the face, on both tests, like two sets of big, fat, sausages sitting on a plate.

She was pregnant.

Silent, she left the bathroom, and hurried to the living room. She grabbed the phone, and with shaking fingers, dialed the number she knew so well. After a couple rings, she got the person she'd been hoping would pick up.

"Hey Dee? Could you come over for a few minutes?"

* * *

"Elphaba? What's wrong?"

The younger woman looked up at Dee. She sat on the bathroom floor of her apartment, silent.

After Elphaba had called, Dee told Fiyero and Taye that she was going to stop by the apartment to check on Elphaba. The two had nodded, too engrossed in fixing the holes Dee had put in the living room wall a week earlier. No one knew how she'd done it; Dee didn't even know. They were just there.

"I swear, they've been there since we moved in." Was Dee's excuse.

Now, she stood in the bathroom doorway, watching her friend for any sign that she'd heard her.

"Close the door."

Dee did as told, and sat next to Elphaba, cross-legged. She set her purse in her lap, and looked at her.

"So what's up? Yero told me you haven't been feeling well, did you get worse?" Dee asked, finally reaching over to feel Elphaba's forehead; the other woman pulled away.

"Dee, don't."

"Okay, sorry, I won't." The two sat in silence, before Elphaba reached beside her, and picked up the two tests. She handed them both to Dee, who looked at them before looking at Elphaba.

"It's a pregnancy test. So?"

"Read it."

"It says it's......positive." She looked up at Elphaba, who nodded, tears in her eyes. "You're pregnant."

"I know." She wiped tears off her cheeks, sniffling.

"Well, honey, that's great. You're pregnant. That's great." Elphaba shook her head. "What's wrong? Aren't you happy? You're going to have a baby."

"I can't."

Dee chuckled softly.

"Yes you can, sweetie. Every woman in the world can have a baby. That's one of the things we're designed to do. Have babies."

Elphaba shook her head again, the tears flowing harder now.

"I don't have a maternal bone in my body. I can't be a mother. I can't. I'm not like you."

"Honey, once that little girl is in your arms, you'll know what to do. Your maternal instincts will kick in, trust me. I know, I had Sky, remember?" Elphaba nodded. "You'll do fine."

"It's going to be a girl?" Elphaba asked, looking down at her stomach and placing a gentle hand on it.

"It's too soon to know."

"I hope it's a girl."

"Why?"

"Because I'm better with girls than with boys. I don't know what I'll do if I have a boy."

"Boy or girl, your instincts will kick in, trust me." Elphaba looked at her.

"Will you be there?"

"Taye and Yero, and even Sky, they'll be there to help."

"Will you?"

"Yes. I'll be with you every step of the way."

"Even for the birth?"

"If you want Taye and I there for the birth, we'll be there." Dee said, hugging her.

"Thank you, Dee."

"You're welcome, Ela."

Gently, Dee rubbed the younger girl's back.

"Do you think I'll be a good mother, Dee?"

"You'll be a wonderful mother, sweetie. You'll be wonderful."


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38. **

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera**

**A/N: Here's a question for you all: Should Elphie give birth to a little boy or a little girl? Message me with your choice, and whichever has more votes, will be what Elphie has! **

**A/N: I'm going to skip right to about......twenty-eight weeks in this, mainly because I want to include most of the major things (ie. the baby shower, fixing the baby's room, and the birth) into the next few chapters. **

**Thanks to Elphaba1Fan, ohmycarlisletwilight23, and Sweet Lunacy for reviewing 37.**

"Hey love, how are you doing? You feeling better?" Elphaba let Fiyero kiss her, and gave him a small smile, watching as he moved to the kitchen and set to making a cup of tea.

"Yeah, I'm okay." She said, following. Sniffling, she leaned against the counter, biting her lip. Yero noticed her nervousness, and hugged her.

"You sure love? You don't look so well." Gently, his kissed her forehead, and let her snuggle into him, which she gratefully did.

"Yero, could we talk?"

* * *

The two settled on the sofa, tea in their hands.

"What did you want to talk about?" Fiyero asked, sipping his tea.

Elphaba took a sip, and set her cup on the coffee table. Then, she turned to Fiyero and took his hands, lacing their fingers.

"R...remember how we....we discussed.....starting a family at our wedding?" He nodded.

"Of course I remember. How could I not?"

"Well....." Elphaba licked her lips. "We....we're going to be starting a family very, very soon. Sooner than we hoped. We've....already.....started one.....actually...." She whispered, letting go of her husband's hands and laying her own hands on her stomach. Then, she looked up at Yero with tears in her eyes. "We're having a baby, Yero."

His blue eyes flickered with something Elphaba couldn't identify, and then, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and covering his face with his hands. He sighed. Elphaba sat, waiting with bated breath.

"A baby. Are you sure?" He whispered. Elphaba nodded.

"I took the test twice. And Dee took me to the doctor this afternoon. She confirmed it. I'm preg....preg....p...pre....pr...." She stammered, she couldn't bring herself to say it.

"Pregnant?" He offered. She nodded.

"Yes."

"How far are you?"

"Um....the.....the doctor said.....about eight days......"

He nodded.

"Yero, please, say something. I....I'll get an abortion.......I'll...."

"I don't want you to get an abortion." He said softly.

"What?" Elphaba looked at him, shocked. "But you...."

"I'm in shock, Ela. How else am I supposed to react? You say 'we're having a baby' and I'm just supposed to take it? _Honestly_ Ela, how do you _expect me to react_?" He replied, cool.

"I'm sorry...."

"It.....It's not your fault. Okay?" Fiyero said, turning to Elphaba and patting her knee. "I'm just.....oh my god, a baby.......we're really having a baby......"

"Are you happy?" She asked, tears in her eyes.

"Oh course. Why wouldn't I?"

"Because you don't look happy."

"I just.....a baby. We're having a baby....I....it's...."

Elphaba broke down, covering her mouth with her hand. Fiyero sighed, and gathered her in his arms.

"Hush love....."

"You don't want this baby...."

"Yes I do, love. I just.....how are we going to take care of it? We don't have anything for a baby. We have the extra bedroom-the guest room- but other than that....we're basically going into this with our eyes closed." He said, as he rubbed her back.

"Are you sure we can do this? Can we really have a baby?" Elphaba asked, looking up at Fiyero. He gently cupped her face in his hands.

"Yes. We can, and we are. We're really having a baby. We'll be fine love. We'll get through this... _together_."

* * *

Elphaba started her prenatal care a week later.

By the time she got to twelve weeks, she was already starting to question whether she'd be able to deal with motherhood. Dee kept reminding her that she, Taye, and Yero would be with her, helping her every step of the way. It seemed to comfort the young mother-to-be.

When she hit sixteen weeks, her bump was starting to vizualize. Only their closest friends said anything about Elphaba's pregnancy, mainly because when you looked at Elphaba's belly, it didn't look like she was pregnant.

Only her closest friends and coworkers knew, mainly because Dee couldn't keep her mouth shut.

"We had another ultrasound done today." Elphaba told the girls, as Sho slid into the booth across from her. Stephanie moved over, allowing Sho in, and looked up when Elphaba held out a black and white ultrasound photo. "Right there." She said, pointing.

"Aww. Are you having a boy or a girl?" Eden asked, looking over Stephanie's shoulder.

"Don't know. And Yero and I want to wait until the birth to find out."

At twenty weeks, Elphaba had a nice, visable bump under her clothes. Dee and the girls had surprised her with maternity clothes- which Elphaba was grateful for- because her normal clothes were already tight on her. She looked pregnant, even if she wasn't big-yet.

* * *

When Elphaba made it to twenty-four weeks, she had a nice bump on her tummy.

"So, you and Ela are having a baby. Congrats." Max said, one afternoon when the small group of _Wicked_ friends had met at the Life Cafe for lunch.

"Thanks." Fiyero said, watching his wife hug Desi. The young blonde gently patted her friend's tummy, and said something to Elphaba, who laughed.

"You excited?" Max was a bacholer. Although he had a thing for Desi, he refused to admit it. Slowly, he turned to see what Fiyero was watching.

"She's gorgeous, absolutley gorgeous. She was gorgeous before the pregnancy, but I think that tummy of hers makes her even more beautiful. Just....the....mere fact....that....there's this little human being growing inside her, that's a combination of Ela and I is.......I can't believe it. She's...we're.....a baby....." Max laughed, causing Desi and Elphaba to look over at them, curious, before joining them.

"You'll do fine. She's beautiful and that baby is going to absolutley, breathtakingly, beautiful. You ready?"

"Yes. I'm going to be a father." Fiyero said, pride in his voice, as he took a sip of his coffee. He swallowed, realizing what he'd just said. "I'm going to be a father." Max chuckled, and clapped his friend on the back.

"You sound terrified. Congrats. You're ready to be a father."

* * *

It was one evening, when Elphaba had hit twenty-six weeks, when she and Fiyero joined Taye, Dee and Sky for dinner, that Dee pulled her aside, asking how she was holding up.

"I'm okay. I promise."

"You sure?" Elphaba nodded, hand on her tummy.

"I'm....okay."

"Ela? What's wrong?"

"Nothings wrong, Dee. The baby moved." Elphaba replied, excitement in her voice; Dee started.

"What?"

"The. Baby. Moved." Elphaba said, reaching out and grabbing Dee's hand. She rested it on her belly, and watched Dee's face break into a smile.

"I've forgotten what it's like to have a baby move inside you." She whispered.

Elphaba just gave her a gentle hug.

* * *

"Do you know how you want to birth?"

Elphaba nodded, as her practicioner checked her blood pressure. She was twenty-eight weeks, already starting her last trimester.

"Natural. I don't want medication. My mother had medication, and she died in childbirth, after my sister was born. Something went wrong with the medication. I don't want it. I want natural."

Her doctor nodded.

"That's fine."

"Well, how is everything?" Fiyero asked.

"She and the baby are doing fine." The doctor told them, giving the young couple a small smile.

"Do you want to see your baby?" Elphaba nodded, and lay back, allowing the doctor to place the ultra sound gel on her belly. Everyone looked up when a knock sounded on the door.

"Yes?" Dee poked her head in.

"Hey, I hope I'm not interrupting."

"Hey Dee." Fiyero said, giving her a hug as she joined them.

"Dee, what are you doing here?" Elphaba asked.

"Sky got into a fight at school. The other kid broke her nose, and she has to have it reset. And, you said that you might be here today, so I figure I'd come see you."

"We were just about to see the baby. Would you like to see?" The doctor asked.

"If it's okay with Ela."

"It's fine, Dee." Elphaba replied, reaching out and gently squeezing her hand. They watched, as the doctor gently moved the ultra monitor around on her stomach, and the image appeared on the screen.

"There's your baby." The doctor said. A smile broke out on Elphaba's face, and she felt tears prick her eyes.

There, was her baby.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39. **

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera**

**A/N: So far, the tally is: Boy: 1, Girl: 4.**

**Thanks to ghostly bender, Sweet Lunacy, Elphaba1Fan, ohmycarlisletwilight23, Scarves, and EfinityBressen for reviewing 37. **

**Question: How old are Elphaba and Fiyero in this?**

**Answer: I think, they're both about.......twenty-five. Twenty-six in this. And this is going on that Elphie left Shiz at nineteen (she went to Shiz at eighteen, and left at nineteen), and then Fiyero and Elphaba met and got back together six years later, and then left Oz, in June of their twenty-fifth-sixth year. So in June, in New York, Fiyero is twenty-six, and Elphaba is twenty-five. Elphie's birthday is in September, so she's twenty-six. And I put Fiyero's birthday as being in May. In this story, Yero is about... four months older than Elphie. So he already turned twenty-six back in Oz. Make sense?**

Gently, Fiyero's hands worked on Elphaba's back, rubbing the knots out.

"Feel better love?" He whispered, as Elphaba nodded. At thirty-five weeks, Elphaba was only five weeks away from her due date. A soft gasp escaped her lips, and she tightened, placing a hand on her stomach. "What's wrong love?"

"It's just...Braxton Hicks."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. We learned about this in birthing class, remember?" Elphaba said, relaxing as the contraction left. Fiyero nodded.

"I remember. You'll be feeling those until you start birthing. Around forty weeks."

"So you _were_ paying attention." Elphaba joked, looking over her shoulder at her husband. He finished kneading her shoulders, and kissed her. "Thank you. I love you."

"I love you." Their foreheads rested gently, before the knock on the door broke the two from their loving silence. Fiyero got up, going to the door. He opened it, revealing Taye, Dee, and several of the other actors and actresses on Broadway.

"Hey. What are you all doing here?" He asked. Elphaba joined him.

"Hey. Actually, I was wondering if you'd like to spend the day at our house, Ela? Sort of a....girls' day out?" Dee asked. Elphaba looked at Fiyero. He gave her a gentle push towards the door.

"Go on love."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure."

"All right." Elphaba grabbed her purse and turned back to her husband. "I love you." She whispered, kissing him.

"I love you."

When Dee, the girls, and Elphaba disappeared down the hall, Fiyero turned to Taye.

"You have everything?"

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me you'd planned my baby shower?" Elphaba asked, accepting the cup of raspberry tea as Dee sat next to her on the sofa.

"Because then it wouldn't have been a surprise." Dee replied.

"So, should we get started?" Sho asked, giving Elphaba a smile.

* * *

"I love it."

"Maddie helped pick it out. She's adamant that you're going to have a girl. So she decided on a pink bunny. I kept telling her that you might just have a boy, but she wouldn't hear it." Elphaba laughed, as she tenderly held the pink stuffed bunny.

"Even if I have a boy, I'll love it." Elphaba whispered. Then, she leaned over and hugged her friend.

"Tell Maddie I love it."

"I will. Oh, and this one's from Sebastian and I." Elphaba took the package, and began unwrapping it. When she pulled the top of the box off, it revealed a silver picture frame, the words, _Baby Mine_ at the top in an arch. There were several places for photos, from First Month to First Year.

"Thank you, Stephanie." Elphaba said, hugging her friend again.

"You're welcome. We got one when Maddie was born. It seemed only right that you and Yero got one."

* * *

"Lavender? Do you really think lavender is the right color for a baby?" Max asked. Fiyero raised an eyebrow, a perfect imitation of his wife.

"Ela and I decided that we don't want to settle for either blue or pink, that lavender is a neutral enough color for either a boy or a girl."

"Yellow is a neutral enough color." Max replied, dipping his roller in the paint.

"How were you and Ela able to get the landlord to agree to let you paint the room?" Kirra asked. She'd decided to help paint the baby's room, seeing as she and the girls from the cast had surprised Elphaba with a nice little baby shower three weeks earlier after rehearsal. Today, Dee and the older women were keeping Elphaba distracted while Kirra, the younger girls, and the guys took care of the room.

"It was pretty simple actually. All we had to do was tell Mr. and Mrs. Henderson that we were having a baby, and they said that we could do whatever we wanted with the room. Apparently, all you have to do is say the words 'we're', 'having', and 'baby' in the same sentence and Mrs. Henderson goes soft." Fiyero replied, as he continued to paint the wall.

"I think it'll be pretty, once we get it all done. She'll like it." Desi said.

* * *

When the shower ended, the girls left, giving their parting congratulations and wishes to Elphaba. They knew the plan, take the gifts back to the apartment so they could help set up the room. When the door closed behind Eden, only Sho, Elphaba and Dee remained.

"Here." Sho held a couple of packages tied together with purple ribbon and wrapped in green paper. Elphaba took both, untied them, and opened the smaller one. Inside, was a pair of pink cotton booties, a hat and bib. Gently, Elphaba ran her fingers over the material, a small smile on her face. She turned to the bigger package next. Inside it, was a christening blanket.

"Thank you, Sho." Elphaba whispered, hugging her friend. Then, she turned to Dee.

"Come on, we'd better get back." And Dee helped her up and out of the house.

* * *

Dee opened the door of the baby's room, revealing the lavender walls, the crib, the changing table, and everything else that had been accumulated over the last few weeks, including the gifts the girls had given Elphaba at the shower.

Elphaba's mouth dropped, and she looked around at everyone, wide-eyed.

"You did this? All of you?" She asked, tears in her eyes.

They nodded.

"Do you like it?" Desi asked. Elphaba nodded, covering her mouth to keep from sobbing.

"I love it. Thank you."


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera **

**A/N: It's time to meet the newest member of Elphie and Yero's family!**

**Thanks to Scarves, ghostly bender, Elphaba1Fan, -greenTARDISgal-, and Elphiethegood for reviewing 39. **

At thirty-nine weeks, the baby had lowered into her pelvis, and Elphaba was breathing easier. By the time she got to forty weeks, Elphaba was exceedingly anxious for the birth. So it was a shock to her that she was six days past her due date-May 23rd. It was looking more or more like Elphaba's baby was going to be born on or around May 31st.

On May 29th, Elphaba felt the first signs of labor: sharp contractions. As they got closer, she and Fiyero met Taye, Dee, and Sky (who would have preferred to stay home) at the hospital.

* * *

"Are you sure it's a good idea for Sky to be here?" Elphaba asked, breathing through a contraction.

"Hey it's an early sex ed." Dee said, rubbing Elphaba's back.

"Oh god." Elphaba let out the breath she was holding. The contractions had gotten stronger, and Elphaba was having a hard time dealing with the pain. "How did you get through this Dee?"

The older woman gave her friend a small smile. "It's not easy, but the reward is wonderful." Elphaba nodded.

"Come on sweetie. Let's walk around a bit, that helped when I had Sky. It usually helps." Dee said, helping Elphaba to her feet. They walked for a while, and then Elphaba had to sit down and rest.

"I have to push." Elphaba said, taking a deep breath.

"Not yet honey, you're only five centimeters." The doctor told her.

"Please! I have to." Elphaba begged, crying out as another contraction hit.

"You can't sweetheart. Not now. With the way things are looking, if you try pushing I'm afraid your cervix might swell. But don't worry, the contractions are coming fast enough that you should be able to push in no time, all right?" The doctor told her. Elphaba nodded.

"Relax love. That's good. Just relax." Fiyero whispered, gently rubbing her back. Elphaba let out a cry.

"What wrong?" Sky asked, fear in her eyes.

"She's transitioning. That's it Ela, breathe, you're doing great." Dr. Hanson said.

"I can't do this." Elphaba said, taking a deep breath.

"Yes you can, you're doing great." Fiyero told her.

"I can't."

"Yes you can, Ela. Dee went through it. Your mother went through it. You'll get through this to bring that beautiful baby into this world, okay?" Taye told her, gently taking her hand. He let Elphaba squeeze his hand tightly.

"Ah!" Elphaba had moved to her knees, breathing deeply, when she cried out. She removed her hand from between her legs, and her eyes widened, her mouth open in horror.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Dee asked, as she and Fiyero knelt next to her, concern in their eyes.

"My water broke." Elphaba cried, feeling a gush of water run down her thighs.

"It's time?" Dee asked, paling slightly.

"No, I've just been having my cervix dialate for the last three days because I _felt like it_! _What the fuck do you think, Dee_?!" Elphaba snapped.

"Right. Sorry." Quickly, Dee took her hand.

"Come on Ela, that's it." Sky looked up, to see Elphaba sitting up, her legs splayed out in front of her. She grabbed Taye's hand, and squeezed, a groan escaping her throat as she pushed.

"Oh god!" Elphaba let out a cry. Another push, and she felt her baby's head starting to come. Gently, Fiyero rubbed her back, as he, Taye, and Dee whispered soothingly to her.

Another push, followed by a scream, and another strong, lengthy push, and her child's head was out.

"_What is that_?" Sky asked, curious, but horrified at the same time.

"Oh my god. I can't do this!" Elphaba cried, pushing again. Her panting soon turned to groaning, which morphed into a scream, and she felt her baby's shoulders slide out of her.

"That's it! You're doing great Ela! Another push and the baby will be out. You're doing great!" Dee said, as Elphaba squeezed her hand.

"All I need is one more strong, good push Ela, and your baby will be here." Dr. Hanson told the young woman.

"Push sweetheart! You're doing great!"

_"Shut up Fiyero!"_ Elphaba screamed. She took a deep breath, gave another strong, hard push, followed by a scream, and then she heard a baby's cry. As she took a deep breath, she saw Dr. Hanson holding a crying newborn up for them to see.

"It's a girl!"

"A girl? Oh god, Yero, we have a daughter!" Elphaba cried, tilting her head to look back at her husband.

"I know love." Gently, he kissed her forehead, before he moved away from her and cut the cord. Then, he went back to Elphaba. He hugged her tenderly, as one of the nurses took care of the placenta. Then, Fiyero and Taye helped Elphaba to her feet and to the bed.

Sky watched as the doctor placed the baby in Elphaba's arms. She was wrapped in a pink blanket, and Elphaba had tears in her eyes.

"She's beautiful." Elphaba said, as she looked at her husband. She held her daughter close, and kissed her husband.

"She's got a head of raven hair. Like her mother." Taye said, pulling Dee into his arms.

"And blue eyes." Elphaba said.

"Brown eyes." Fiyero corrected. Dee leaned forward, a smile on her face.

"Looks like her eyes are going to be neither brown or blue, but moss green." Dee said, as Elphaba and Fiyero looked down at the baby. Indeed, her eyes were a light green. Elphaba felt a small smile form on her lips.

"What's her name?" Dee asked. Elphaba thought a moment.

"I don't know, I never--"

"Delaney." Elphaba looked up at her husband.

"What?"

"How about Delaney?"

"Delaney." Elphaba repeated, testing it. "I like it." Then, the she looked down at her daughter.

"Delaney. Delaney....." She thought a moment. "Delaney Kim Tipton."

"I thought it was Tiggular?" Sky asked.

"Tipton. Tiggular. Thorne. Either way, her initals are going to be DKT." Dee said. "Don't Kiss Toads." Elphaba chuckled. Dee moved to the other side of Elphaba's bed, and sat down on the edge, next to her, so that the young woman was between her husband and her friend.

"Don't Kiss Toads, huh?" Taye said, trying to figure it out. Dee rolled her eyes.

"He'll be working on that one for weeks." She whispered to Elphaba and Fiyero. Neither seemed to be paying attention. They just stared at Delaney, as if they'd never seen a baby before. Dee chuckled. They were already acting like new parents. So, she leaned down and kissed her friend's hair.

"Congratulations Ela. You're a mother."


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera **

**Thanks to Elphaba1Fan, ghostly bender, Sweet Lunacy, Satan's Spawn12, and ohmycarlisletwilight23 for reviewing 40.**

**Question: Where did you get it (Delaney) from?**

**Answer: Delaney is actually a name I use for another character in a short story I wrote, and it's also the name of one of my closest friends, so I decided to use it. **

**Question: Where is she (Glinda)? And how could she be staying so long with so little money?**

**Answer: Basically, she had enough for a few days at the hotel, and then once she ran out, she's basically staying anywhere she can. Or, a shelter to be more specific, while she gets a good grip on life in New York. Remember, not everyone is good friends with Dee and Taye.**

Elphaba and Fiyero brought Delaney home a couple days later. When they pushed open the front door, a chorus of voices met them.

Dee had told the girls, who'd told their respected spouses, who'd told various members of the revival cast, who'd told the _other _members of the revival cast who hadn't heard about the birth yet. So they had all slipped into Elphie and Yero's apartment and set up a little welcome home party.

"What are you all doing here?" Elphaba asked, as Fiyero picked up a crying Delaney and rocked her gently.

"We wanted to surprise you." Stephanie said, giving Elphaba a hug.

"That's great, but, who told you about the birth?" Then she and Stephanie rolled their eyes.

"Dee." They said in unison.

"Someone call me?" Stephanie turned, to see Dee coming towards them. The other woman paled, at the look on Elphaba's face.

"You told _everyone_?" Elphaba asked.

"Well, I didn't tell...not everyone....yeah." Dee finished sheepishly. "Sorry." Elphaba sighed, and let Dee wrap her in a hug.

* * *

"She's so adorable." Eden said, as Elphaba cradled her daughter on the sofa. The younger woman sat between Eden and Megan.

"What's her name?" Megan asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Delaney." Elphaba told her, returning her gaze to her daughter. "Delaney Kim."

"Delaney? It's perfect for her." Sho said, as the baby reached out a small hand, and Elphaba let her grasp her finger. The baby cooed, and the girls laughed.

"Would it be all right if I held her?" Eden asked. After a moment's thought, Elphaba nodded, and gently laid Delaney in Eden's arms.

"I remember when Neveah was born. She was beautiful." Eden said, giving Delaney a small smile. "And then she grew up." Elphaba laughed.

"Well, Delaney has a few more years before she grows up."

* * *

"Congrats, Daddy." Max said, clapping Fiyero on the back.

"Thanks."

"She's beautiful. She really is. One of the most beautiful babies in all of New York." Max replied, as Elphaba came up to the two.

"Hey love." She said, kissing Fiyero, before pouring herself a glass of ice tea.

"Hey. Where's Delaney?" He asked, as Elphaba took a sip of her tea.

"Eden's holding her." Elphaba replied, nodding towards the sofa. "They're all mothers. They're wonderful mothers." Gently, Fiyero rubbed her back, and pulled her into a hug.

"You'll be a wonderful mother Ela; you already are." He whispered.

"That's right. Besides, she's only what? Two...three days old? You'll have the next eighteen years to become a wonderful mother. Now, I'm no mother, but I'm pretty sure that women become great mothers over a number of years." Max said, trying to get Elphaba to smile. It worked. She let out a laugh, and gave Max a smile.

* * *

Congratulations were given as the small party wound down. When the door closed, only Fiyero, Elphaba, Dee, Taye, Sho, and Stephanie remained, cleaning up. Elphaba cradled Delaney in her arms, nursing her. She slipped into the nursery for some peace. When she finished, she returned to the liviing room, Delaney content in her arms.

"So, how was the birth?" Stephanie asked, once they had finished cleaning the apartment and had settled down in the living room. Coffee and tea had been made, and the small group sat talking.

"It was...long. Painful." Elphaba replied, looking at her friend.

"But rewarding." Stephanie said. The other woman nodded.

"Definately rewarding."

They looked down at the baby, who was staring at Elphaba with beautiful green eyes.

"You excited?" Stephanie asked.

"Nervous." Elphaba replied.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine." Sho said. Stephanie nodded.

"You'll do great."

* * *

When the others had left, Elphaba and Fiyero cuddled on the sofa, Delaney in her mother's arms.

"She's beautiful, isn't she, Yero?"

"She looks like you." He said, kissing Elphaba's forehead. His wife smiled.

Yero was right. She was beautiful. With a head of curly black hair, and those piercing moss green eyes, Delaney was going to be a beautiful little girl.

Softly, Elphaba began singing a tender lullaby, until the baby fell asleep. Then, she looked up at Fiyero, and kissed him, before snuggling into his arms and falling asleep.


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miniera **

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait!**

**Question: So while Elphaba was living her happy life Glinda has been living in a box?! In New York City?!**

**Answer: You'll see...**

**Question: Why can't she (Elphaba) see that (she'll be a fine mother)?**

**Answer: Okay, you take 1 part abusive parents, 2 parts low self esteem.......**

**Thanks to Sweet Lunacy, ohmycarlisletwilight23, Elphaba1Fan, Elphiethegood, ghostly bender, and -greenTARDISgal- for reviewing 41.**

Since her arrival in New York, Glinda had tried to find some stability.

After weeks of nothing, she finally got a job at the Life Cafe, working as a waitress. It may have been minimum wage, but it was better than nothing. She'd found a little loft apartment that she could rent cheap, and slowly, she started making it her own.

However, she hadn't found Elphie. And she needed to find Elphie.

So it was one afternoon, when the same group entered the cafe. They settled at their usual table, and sat talking softly.

"Linda. Would you get them, please?" The man working the counter asked. Glinda nodded. Smoothing her apron, she went to them, and held out her pad and pen.

"Hey, can I get you guys anything?"

Several of them looked up.

"Um.... just a sandwich and an iced tea." The blonde said. Glinda took the order, and turned to the others. Once she'd gotten theirs, she turned to Fiyero and Elphaba.

"The usual?" Both nodded.

"Okay. I'll get those and be right back."

As she left, she caught snatches of the coversation.

"Maybe we should head home."

"Ela, Dee and Taye are watching Laney, she'll be fine."

"But--"

"Sweetie, she's.....how old? Three? Four months?"

"Five."

"So she'll be fine. If anything happens, Dee will call you. Don't worry and enjoy yourself. You deserve it."

"I guess you're right Kirra, but---"

"No buts. Just relax."

A baby? One of them had had a baby? Glinda shook her head, getting rid of the conversation she'd been listening to before heading behind the counter.

* * *

As the small group left the cafe, Glinda watched the raven head open her phone and dial a number. She waited a minute, before speaking.

"Hey Dee. It's Ela. How's Laney?"

The blonde leaned against the counter, watching the woman.

"Uhhuh."

Glinda sighed.

"Okay. All right. Yeah, we're just leaving the diner now. Okay, we'll see you soon. Bye."

She hung up the cell phone, pulled on her coat, and joined the others.

"What'd Dee say?"

"Laney is safe and sound and tucked in her crib. She said that she and Taye will stay until we get home." Elphaba said, leaning up to kiss her husband sweetly on the lips.

* * *

"Hey. How was rehearsal?"

"Long." Elphaba said, coming into their living room. She went to the bar, and set her purse on the bar counter before taking off her coat.

"Guess who's back, Eydena? Mommy and Daddy!" The young parents looked up to see Taye enter from Delaney's room, the baby in his arms.

Her raven hair was short, to her chin, and soft, like a baby's hair is, sticking up in places. Her moss green eyes had stayed the same, and they were sleepy. Her head rested on Taye's shoulder, but she lifted it when they got to her parents. Then, she reached her chubby arms out to her mother, who took her baby, cradling her gently.

"Hey baby girl. Were you good for Auntie Dee and Uncle Taye?" Elphaba whispered softly, kissing her daughter's forehead.

"She was very good." Taye told her, reaching out and gently tickling the baby's back. "Weren't you Eydena?"

"Eydena?" Fiyero asked, raising his eyebrows. Taye blushed.

"It---"

"Taye thought it up. It took him weeks to put the appropriate letters together." Dee said, as she gathered her coat and purse.

"Where are you going?" Elphaba asked.

"Home. Now that you're back, we can let you get some rest."

"Well, you don't have to go yet. Do you.....want a cup of coffee?" Elphaba asked. Dee stopped and thought a minute.

"Sure."

"Where's Sky?" Fiyero asked.

"At Avery's. The girls are having a sleepover." Taye said, as the four moved to the kitchen. Elphaba perched on one of the barstools, Delaney in her arms. Softly, she cooed to her daughter, gently running her fingers through her daughter's soft black hair.

"Dee."

"Yes?"

"Dee."

"Yes?"

"Dee."

The woman in question, raised her head.

"What _is it_, Ela?"

"Dee. Dee."

_"What?"_ Dee cried, causing everyone to look at her.

"Nothing. Why?" Elphaba asked.

"Because you keep saying my name." Dee said, looking at her friend.

"Oh. Right. Sorry." The younger woman said, thinking for a moment. "But I wasn't talking to you."

"Then who were you talking too? The only person named Dee in this room is me!"

"Dee."

"What?"

"Not you! Delaney." Elphaba said, looking pointedly at her friend before returning her attention to her daughter.

"Oh." Dee glanced at everyone, before blushing.

"If you remove the l, a, n, and y, the that leaves your nickname." Taye said, as Fiyero poured three cups of coffee and a cup of tea. Dee looked at her husband, a glare on her lovely features.

_"I know."_

"Dee. Dee. Pretty little girl. Yes, you!" Elphaba cooed, gently tickling her daughter's stomach. The baby giggled, and reached out, grabbing a hold of her mother's hair and pulling. "Let go, baby. You're hurting Mommy!" And gently, Elphaba pulled her hair from her daughter's hand. "Ouch." Gently, she rubbed her scalp, where a couple of long, black strands had managed to be ripped out.

Fiyero chuckled.

"She's truly beautiful, Yero." Taye said, as they watched Elphaba with her daughter. The younger man nodded.

"They both are. Remarkably beautiful."

* * *

Glinda closed the door of her apartment.

She went to the kitchen and fixed herself a cup of tea, before sitting on the couch and rifling through the mail.

When she was done, she pulled out Elphaba's necklace, and whispered their names.

Instantly, the fog cleared, revealing four adults in an apartment, gathered in the kitchen, talking.

The younger woman sat on a barstool, a baby girl in her arms.

"She's truly beautiful, Yero." The dark-skinned man said. The younger one nodded.

"They both are. Remarkably beautiful."

He was right.

The baby looked like the woman; like Elphaba.

Elphaba.

Wait, it couldn't be.

As the necklace zoomed in, it gave Glinda a good view of the woman's face.

She choked on her tea.

It was.

The same raven hair, brown eyes, bright smile.

Elphaba.


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter 43. **

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Confrontation between Elphaba and Glinda won't be for a few more chapters......**

**Question: Did she (Glinda) just figure out the baby was Elphaba's?  
**

**Answer: Yeah, she just figured out that the baby was Elphaba's. And she basically refused to accept that the woman in the cafe was Elphaba. So when she sees the close up of Elphie in the apartment, she can't deny that it's Elphaba any longer. She _has_ to accept it......**

**Thanks to ghostly bender, Sweet Lunacy, Elphiethegood, ohmycarlisletwilight23, and Elphaba1Fan for reviewing 42.**

Three days later, after dinner, Elphaba settled on the sofa, Delaney in her arms. She unbuttoned the two top buttons of her blouse, and lowered her bra strap, before guiding her daughter's mouth to her nipple. She watched silently as her daughter sucked, relishing in the slight tug of the baby's mouth, and the contentment she felt. Delaney's moss green eyes watched her mother, and the baby waved a hand in the air, which Elphaba reached out and gently grasped, rubbing the ball of her thumb over the back of her small hand. Elphaba's peace was soon disrupted however, when a voice spoke up.

"Elphaba?"

The older woman looked up, to see Sky standing in front of her. Dee had brought Taye and Sky over to Elphaba and Fiyero's apartment for dinner that night.

"Sky? Is something wrong?" Elphaba asked, reaching up to remove her daughter's mouth and rebutton her blouse.

"Don't worry about that. Steph did that all the time when Maggie was born." Sky said, referring to Stephanie Block when her younger daughter was born, ten years earlier. "Can I.....sit down?"

"Of course." Elphaba said, nodding to the sofa next to her. Sky sat, turning to Elphaba, who looked back at her daughter. The teenager watched the baby suckle, saw her little hand gently grasp strands of her mother's hair that hung down over her shoulder.

"She's gorgeous." Elphaba smiled, nodding silently.

"That's a good girl." She whispered, as she gently removed her daughter's mouth from her nipple when the baby finished. She then pulled her strap back up her shoulder, and burped her daughter, before going to button her blouse.

"Do you want me to hold her?" Elphaba looked up, to see Sky watching her.

"Uh....um.....s....sure." Elphaba stammered, before looking down at her daughter. Then, she leaned towards Sky, instructing her on what to do. "Mind her head. Like that, in the crook of your elbow. And then you put this arm around her. That's it. Like that. Good girl." Elphaba whispered, unaware that Taye, Dee, and Yero were watching them. "There. You've got it. You're a natural." Elphaba said, as she buttoned her blouse.

Sky gave her a small smile, and looked down at Delaney. Her moss green eyes stared up at her innocently, and she stuck her tiny fingers in her mouth, cooing. Sighing, Elphaba tossed her raven hair over her shoulder, and then took her daughter back. Sky sighed, as she returned the baby to her mother's arms.

"She's really beautiful, Elphaba."

"I know." Elphaba whispered, looking up at Sky before looking back at Delaney. "Yes you are, aren't you? You're a pretty, pretty girl." She cooed, smiling at her as she wrinkled her nose. Then, she leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Elphaba?" The woman looked up.

"Yes?"

"I...." The girl stopped and licked her lips. "I'm sorry. For the way I acted before. I.....I was jealous. Of you and....."

"I understand. And it's all right. I forgive you." Elphaba said, cutting in. "It's entirely all right--"

"No it isn't. I was.....acting like a spoiled brat, and I shouldn't have been. I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?" Sky said, her eyes watering. She'd obviously been thinking about this a lot the last few weeks. Elphaba nodded, and took her hand, squeezing gently.

"I forgive you."

Then, she turned back to Delaney, who had grabbed a tiny fistful of Elphaba's hair and put it into her mouth. Smiling, she looked up at Sky.

"Do you want to hold her?"

And gently, Elphaba laid the baby back in Sky's arms, gently pulling her hair from her daughter's fingers and mouth. She gently tapped her daughter's nose, cooing to her softly before pulling away. Sky looked down at the little girl, before looking back at her mother. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Elphaba replied, watching Sky hold her daughter.

* * *

Later that night, when Dee, Taye, and Sky left, the teenager wrapped her arms around Elphaba, hugging her.

"See you tomorrow, Elphaba." She said when the two broke apart.

"See you." The woman whispered, as the others left. When the door closed, Elphaba went to Fiyero and kissed him.

"So, did you and Sky reach an agreement?" He asked, wrapping her in his arms. They'd already put Delaney to bed, and were about to head to bed themselves. She nodded.

"Yes. I believe we did."

"Good." He told her, pressing his forehead to hers. Then, he scooped her into his arms bridal style and carried her to their bedroom.

"Yero!" Her laugh filled the apartment.

"What _exactly_ are you going to do, Mr. Tipton?" She asked once they reached their bedroom. He pushed it open.

"I'm going to make you _defy gravity_, Mrs. Tipton." He replied, kicking the door shut.


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Yes, Sky and Elphaba finally reached an impass....**

**Thanks to Sweet Lunacy, ohmycarlisletwilight23, and Elphaba1Fan for reviewing 43.**

Sky woke up at seven three weeks later.

It was Saturday, her birthday.

Her seventeenth birthday.

Great.

Unlike most teens her age, Sky didn't drive; she had no urge to get her license. Why should you when you had taxis and subways and sidewalks?

She didn't party or drink, didn't do drugs, and contrary to popular belief, was still a virgin. One of those waiting-for-the-right-person types.

Oh, and she hated her birthday.

Every year, her parents asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday, and every year, Sky said she didn't want to do anything. She didn't celebrate her sweet sixteen last year; she hadn't wanted to.

Sighing, she got out of bed, went to the bathroom, and put her contacts in, before going downstairs.

Sky considered the house empty, now that Elphaba and Fiyero were living in their own apartment, and had a family of their own. It may have sounded selfish, but Sky wanted things to go back to the way they had been, with Ela and Yero in the guest room down the hall, before Delaney came around. Not that she resented the baby; on the contrary, she _adored_ Laney, but she missed Elphaba and Fiyero being home.

Slowly, she took the stairs down two at a time, and moved through the living room, into the kitchen. When she stepped through the door, she was met with a small group of people waiting for her.

"Surprise!"

Elphaba, Fiyero, with Delaney in her father's arms, Dee, and Taye, were gathered around the dining room table, where a small group of packages and a plate of pastries sat at Sky's place. Speechless, Sky moved to the adults, and let Dee hug her.

"Happy birthday, my darling." Dee told her, hugging her daughter. She let the others hug her, and then turned to the table.

"Wh...what is this?" Finally managed to come out of her mouth.

"Just a little birthday surprise." Elphaba said, sitting next to her as Sky took her seat.

"My....my birthday?" Elphaba nodded, as the others took seats. She gently pushed the plate to the girl.

"Yeah. It is your birthday, isn't it? Unless I've got it wrong? Today is October 31st, right? Halloween?" Elphaba asked. Sky nodded.

"Yes."

"Then this is....this surprise is for you."

Sky smiled at her.

Elphaba wasn't used to getting anything on her _own_ birthday, let _alone_ throwing a birthday surprise for anyone else, but she was really trying for Sky's sake, and so the teen decided to let her. She was trying to make this a good day for Sky. The teenager could tell Elphaba was trying too hard for her sake, and decided to help the young woman relax.

"Thank you." She said. Elphaba nodded.

"Do you want a cup of tea or---"

"Tea is fine, Elphaba. Thanks." Elphaba nodded, and slipped into the kitchen.

"Sorry about Fae, Sky, she's just, never had a birthday before, so she doesn't know what to do. She's trying, but---"

"I get it Fiyero. It's okay. It's sweet. It really is." Sky said, as Elphaba came back with a cup of raspberry tea. She set it in front of the teen, and took her place next to her again. Sky smiled at her friend, and reached out, picking up a cinnamon roll and taking a bite. Gently, Elphaba reached out and patted the girl's arm.

She was _really_ trying too hard.

* * *

"All right, open the presents."

They'd finished breakfast, and now Sky sat eying the small hill of presents in front of her.

"Um....."

"Go on, don't be shy."

"Fae, relax." Yero said, gently squeezing his wife's shoulder. Elphaba had taken Laney into her arms, and now sat playing with her baby girl's black hair. Dee had placed a bow in the baby's hair, a light pink bow that stood out against her black curls.

Slowly, Sky reached out and picked up a small, medium-sized square box wrapped in blue paper. She took the paper off, and opened the soft felt box.

Inside, was a necklace of pearls.

"Wow."

"Every girl needs a string of pearls, don't you think?" Taye asked, as his daughter looked at him. Silent, she got up, and hugged him.

"Thank you, Daddy."

When she sat back down, she picked up another package. It turned out to be a pair of soft, dark blue and gray small diamond designed gloves and a dark blue and gray wrap.

"Oh Mama." She gave Dee a hug, and then returned to the gifts.

"This is from your grandparents. They wanted to wish you a happy birthday, darling." Dee said, as Sky picked up a small, square box. She opened it, revealing a pair of diamond studded earrings.

* * *

Finally, Sky turned to the last three gifts in front of her.

The first one she picked up, was a small, rectangluar box, which held a charm bracelet.

"I....."

"You always said you wanted a charm bracelet. So we decided to get you one." Fiyero said. As she wiped the tears out of her eyes, she picked up the next gift.

It looked like the kind of box that clothes were wrapped in, and that's exactly what was in them. Sky pulled out a dark green plaid skirt, a black off the shoulder top, and a pink newsboy hat.

"Something new for a new you. After all, you _are_ seventeen now." Elphaba said, watching as Sky reached for the last package. it was a Viva La Green tote from Juicy Coutoure, that Elphaba had managed to get at Nordstorm on sale for $30.

"How....how did you...."

"Dee caught me up on what you're class is trying to do with the whole 'green movement', and I figured that you'd really like it, and that it fit well with your theme. Do you like it?" Sky nodded.

"I love it. Thank you." She said, hugging the couple.

"You're welcome. Open it."

"What?"

"Open the bag."

Sky did as told, and pulled out an assortment of things: a sweet seventeen plaid media and ID case, a white bow handbag hanger, a 'Daydreamer' keychain, a 'Thoughts of Coutoure' journal and pen, a peace sign necklace, a set of gold 'Wishes' Heart locket hoop earrings, a set of 'organic' tapered bangles, an elongated stone ring, a couple headbands, a black and pink scarf, a small make up bag with various make up inside, and a small bag of body wash, and lotion. When she finally pulled everything out of it, she looked up at Elphaba.

"You're mom and I worked on it. Everything a girl needs, right?" Elphaba asked, tugging on her fedora. Without speaking, Sky got up and gave them each a hug. When she pulled away, Delaney reached out for Sky, giggling. Smiling, the girl scooped the toddler into her arms and hugged her. The baby reached up and grabbed a strand of Sky's hair, and pulled.

"No, no Laney." Sky said, leaning down to take her hair from the toddler. Then, she kissed the girl's cheek. Delaney then puckered her lips like babies do, and gave Sky her own version of a kiss, leaving a small line of drool on her cheek.

Elphaba laughed, and took her daughter back in her arms.

"Sorry about that Sky."

"Don't worry."

* * *

Later that afternoon, Dee and Elphaba were leading Sky through Nordstorm's. They'd taken Sky for a girls' day out, Fiyero and Taye spending the day at the house with Delaney, fixing a special surprise for Sky.

So it was later that day as the three sat at a small outside a cafe sipping coffee, that Sky asked what had been on her mind since that morning.

"Elphaba?"

"Hmm?"

"Wo....would you.... move back in?" Dee and Elphaba looked at her.

"Move back in?" Sky nodded. Elphaba looked at Dee.

"Sky...we....we can't. Yero and I have our own life. We have Delaney. We...we can't. Why do you want us to?"

Sky bit her lip.

"I.....I miss you."

* * *

Later that night, Sky blew out eighteen candles- seventeen and one to grow on. As they cut the cake, and settled down at the table, Sky couldn't help thinking that this was the best birthday she'd ever had.


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter 45.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to Elphaba1Fan, Sweet Lunacy, and ohmycarlisletwilight23 for reviewing 45.**

Two days later, Sky knocked on Elphaba and Fiyero's apartment door.

It opened, revealing Fiyero in a nice suit; he was taking Elphaba to a show; they were meeting Dee and Taye at the theater. Sky had agreed to babysit Delaney for the young couple.

"Sky. Hey, come in."

"Hi Yero."

As she stepped into the apartment, she heard a voice in the back, and turned, to see Elphaba enter, dressed in in an Alex Evenings Ombre one shoulder evening gown in various shades of blue; her hair in curls and her make up subtle. She held Delaney in her arms.

It was a nice evening out, a formal affair.

"Hi Elphaba. You look great."

"Thanks." Quickly, Sky reached out and took Delaney into her arms, as Elphaba slipped her heels on. "Now, there are bottles in the fridge, and her baby food is in the cupboard. Her diapers are on her changing table in her room- you do know how to change a diaper, right?" Elphaba asked, looking at Sky.

Sky glanced at them, before speaking.

"Not....not really. I haven't been around many babies to---" She stopped when Elphaba reached out to take Delaney back. "I'm kidding Elphaba. Of course I've changed a diaper before. I helped Aunt Kim change my cousins before. It's no big deal." Elphaba relaxed.

"All right. I believe you. Um....you're welcome to anything in the kitchen, and there's a twenty here so you can order takeout if you want, and you're welcome to watch TV or use the computer. Her bedtime is eight sharp. If she doesn't fall asleep, rock her and sing, she likes lullabies. If anything happens, call us, you have _both_ our cell numbers. If you can't get either of us, try your parents, they'll be with us and will be able to let us know, and if you can't get any of us, then go across the hall to Desi and Kirra. They know Laney and should be able to help."

Then, she went to the bar counter, and wrote something on a pad of paper.

"Okay, here's the number of the hospital, the police department, and the fire department, and the number of the restaurant we'll be at after the show if you need to get ahold of us." Elphaba said, handing the pad to Sky. "Do you think you'll be all right? Cause if you aren't sure, we can cancel tonight."

Sky rolled her eyes. Elphaba was acting like a new mother, wanting to go out and have a good time, but unwanting to leave her baby alone with a teenager, no matter how close they were.

"Elphaba, we'll be fine. Right Laney?" Sky asked the baby, tickling the girl's back. The baby giggled.

"All right."

"We'd better get going love, or Sky's parents will wonder where we are." Fiyero said, as he helped Elphaba into her coat.

"What are you going to see?" Sky asked, watching the couple.

_"Jersey Boys."_

"Really? I haven't seen that one."

"We were gonna see _42nd Street_, but it sold out, but I'm looking forward to seeing this. It sounds interesting." Fiyero said. Then, he reached out and rubbed his daughter's back. "You be a good girl for Sky, okay Laney." He said, as the baby looked at him, her moss green eyes latched onto his, the green sparkling in the light as she gave him a toothless smile. Then, he leaned down and kissed his daughter's forehead. "Ready Ela?"

Elphaba nodded, and took Delaney in her arms, hugging her. "Mommy loves you, sweetheart. You be good for Sky, okay baby girl." Elphaba said, kissing her baby's forehead, and then handing her back to Sky. "We'll be back in a few hours." She said, as they went to the door. "You two have fun, okay?"

Sky nodded.

"We will."

"Good. See you soon." And they left, closing the door softly behind them.

When they were gone, Sky moved to the sofa, and sat down, Laney in her arms. Instantly, the baby started crying.

Shit.

"Shh. Hush Laney. Hush. Mommy and Daddy will be back soon. You're just going to spend the evening with me for a while." Sky said, gently rocking the five-month-old. When she didn't stop crying, Sky got up and went to the kitchen. "All right Laney, hold on. A....are you hungry, sweetie?" She asked, pulling out a bottle from the fridge.

When it turned out she didn't want a bottle, Sky panicked.

"Um...."

* * *

"Hey, so, Sky's watching Laney?" Dee asked when the younger couple joined them. Elphaba nodded.

They waited in the theater lobby, until they could go in and take their seats.

"Maybe I should check on them." Elphaba said.

"Ela, you just left, I'm sure they're fine." Dee said. Elphaba still called the number.

* * *

Sky picked up the phone, Laney in her arms.

"Hello?"

"Hey Sky, how's everything going?"

It was Elphaba.

"Oh great."

"Sky, what's wrong?"

"Um......nothing."

_"Sky."_

"Okay. She won't stop crying, and she doesn't want a bottle or the baby food."

A sigh on the other end of the line.

"Have you changed her?"

Oh.

"No. Okay. Thanks."

"Sure thing. Call us if you need anything."

"I will. Thanks."

"Welcome. Bye."

"Bye."

She blew air out of her cheeks, as she hung up the phone. Changing, why hadn't she thought of that?

Then she looked at Delaney, and moved to the nursery.

* * *

Elphaba hung up the phone as they took their seats.

"So, how's everything?" Yero asked.

"Fine. Sky couldn't figure out why Laney was crying. Just, normal first time nerves." Elphaba replied, fingering the phone.

Dee watched her.

"You're supposed to turn it off." Elphaba looked up at her friend.

"I'll put it on silent."

"But--"

"Dee, I have a baby girl at home, I'm not turning my phone off, in case Sky needs to get a hold of me. It will be fine on silent."

But Dee could see Elphaba's fingers tapping on the arm of her seat. Giving her friend an understanding smile, she reached down, and took Elphaba's hand in hers, squeezing gently. She knew Elphaba's worry, she'd been the same way when Sky was born. It was perfectly rational.

Soon, the music started, and they lost themselves in the show.

It was going to be a long night.


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter 46.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to ghostly bender, -greenTARDISgal-, and Elphaba1Fan for reviewing 45.**

Sky had brought her laptop to do her homework on.

By the time an hour and a half rolled around, she was done. So, she pulled up YouTube.

As she stretched, she got up and wandered to the bar counter. Laney was laying on a blanket on the living room floor, within sight of Sky, playing with a few of her toys.

Clucking her tongue, Sky looked over the kitchen, before rifling through the fridge and cupboards. Nothing sounded appetizing. Then she remembered that Elphaba had left her money for takeout. She went back to the counter, picked up the money, and grabbed the phone, before going back and sitting on the sofa, making sure Laney was okay.

"So, what do you think, Laney? Should we get pizza or Chinese?" Sky asked, looking at the baby. The baby was crawling, and had crawled to Sky, so she picked her up and held her on her lap, showing her the two different menus. "Pizza? Or Chinese?"

The baby reached for the Chinese menu and put the corner in her mouth. Sky chuckled.

"Okay, Chinese it is, then."

* * *

An hour later, Sky was putting the remaining Chinese in the fridge.

Then, she scooped Laney into her arms and settled down in front of her laptop. She pulled up the_ In the Heights_ sountrack that she'd uploaded to her laptop, and listened to Lin Manuel Miranda explain how to get the Washington Heights.

_"Well, you must take the A train....."_

Laney reached out for the laptop.

"Oh, you think he's cute? I agree. He's very cute." Sky said, shaking Laney's rattle in front of her. The baby giggled.

* * *

Eight rolled around.

Sighing, Sky took Laney into her room, and undressed her, putting her pajamas on her, and then laying her in her crib.

"Night Laney."

As she slipped out the door, she heard her start to cry. Sighing, she went back into the room, and scooped the baby up.

"Can't sleep?" Sky asked, going to the rocker in the corner. She sat down, and began the steady rhythm of the rocker. "What did Elphaba say? You like lullabies? I don't know any lullabies. I know showtunes. Will you mind if I sing you a showtune?" Sky asked, looking at the baby.

She thought a minute, before deciding on one.

_"Popular!  
You're gonna be popular!  
I'll teach you the proper ploys  
When you talk to boys  
Little ways to flirt and flounce  
I'll show you what shoes to wear  
How to fix your hair  
Everything that really counts."_

The baby fussed.

"No? I agree. It's far too perky for my taste. Um....let's see..."

After a moment, she started singing again.

_"Strange, dear, but true, dear,  
When I'm close to you, dear,  
The stars fill the sky,  
So in love with you am I.  
Even without you  
My arms fold about you.  
You know, darling why,  
So in love with you am I."_

More fussing.

"No?"

Finally, she tried one more song.

_"I've heard it said  
That people come into our lives for a reason  
Bringing something we must learn  
And we are led  
To those who help us most to grow  
If we let them  
And we help them in return  
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true  
But I know I'm who I am today  
Because I knew you"_

She stopped, waiting for the fussing. When none came, she continued, until Delaney had fallen asleep, and then laid her in her crib.

* * *

"Sky! We're back!"

Elphaba looked up to see Sky enter from the nursery.

"Hey, how was the show?"

"Wonderful. How was Laney? Did you have a hard time?"

Sky shook her head.

"No. Not really. We had fun." Sky said, as she gathered her things.

"Do you want us to take you home?" Fiyero asked, as he helped Elphaba remove her coat.

"No thanks. Mom and Dad are probaby waiting outside for me." She said, as she hugged them.

Fiyero held out a twenty.

"Oh no, I couldn't."

"Sky, we insist. It's the least we could do since you watched Laney for us." Elphaba said.

"Besides, you earned it." Fiyero told her, as she took the money.

"All right. Th....thanks." She said, as she turned to go. "Oh, um.....Laney likes it if you sing_ Wicked_ to her. I....found that out when I was rocking her earlier tonight."

The young couple nodded.

"All right." Elphaba said. "Goodnight Sky. And thank you."

She nodded.

"Night."

* * *

Once the door closed, Elphaba turned to her husband.

"So, did you enjoy yourself?" He asked, as he turned off the floor lamp, and then followed Elphaba to the nursery.

"Very much." She said, before turning to the crib. They watched their daughter sleep, before gently reaching down to run their fingers through her hair. "Do you think Sky had much trouble with her tonight?"

Fiyero shook his head.

"I don't think so. I think she and Laney got along fine." He said.

"Look at her. She's our little angel." Elphaba whispered, as Fiyero wrapped her in his arms.

"She definately is, Ela. She definatley is."


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter 47.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

A year passed.

A year since Elphaba and Fiyero had come to New York.

A year since Delaney's birth.

Delaney turned a year on May 31st.

And to celebrate, they had a small party for the little girl. And it was one afternoon, a couple weeks after Laney's first birthday, that Dee and Elphaba were sitting at one of the small cafes with Sky and Laney. The waitress who came to take their order, couldn't help asking the same question Elphaba had been getting all day.

"How old is she?"

"Thirteen months." Elphaba said, shifting the baby on her lap. The little girl snuggled into her mother.

"Oh, she's darling. What's her name?"

"Delaney."

"That's so sweet. Hi Delaney! Hi!" Delaney buried her face in her mother's breast, and then lifted her head slightly, peeking at the waitress before hiding again. "She's a sweetheart."

Elphaba smiled at the woman, and gently patted her daughter's back.

"So, what do you want?"

* * *

When the waitress came back, she brought what the girls had ordered, and then a little cookie for Delaney.

"It's for Delaney." She said. "On the house."

"Thank you. Can you say 'thank you', Laney?" Elphaba asked, taking her daughter's hand and wiggling her fingers. The little girl looked up, to see the waitress holding out the cookie. Slowly, she reached out and took it.

"Tank yu."

"She said thank you." Elphaba said, interpreting for her daughter. The waitress laughed.

"You're welcome. Enjoy."

* * *

When the girls got back to Dee's, Elphaba and Sky headed into the kitchen as Dee collected the mail.

"Hey, we're back."

"I can tell. How was your day, love?" Fiyero asked, giving Elphaba a gentle kiss.

"Fine."

"Yeah, but Laney got more attention than the three of us combined." Sky joked, pulling down a cup and pouring herself some juice. Elphaba set Delaney down when she asked for it, and the toddler moved to Sky, with her mother's help. When she reached Sky, she tugged on the girl's kapris. "What Laney? What do you want?" She set her glass down, and scooped the little girl up, sitting her on the counter. She pointed to Sky's glass as the girl took a sip. "Um, Elphaba?"

"Yeah Sky?"

"Is it okay if I let Laney have a sip from my glass?"

"What are you drinking?" Fiyero asked, as he set the table.

"Just apple juice."

"Sure."

Sky turned back to the little girl, and handed her the glass. "Be careful Laney." She said as the girl held the glass and opened her mouth. Only when she went to take a sip, she missed, getting it all over her shirt instead of in her mouth. "Oh Laney!"

The others turned, to see Laney covered in apple juice. Quickly, Elphaba rushed to her daughter, and grabbed a towel. She cleaned up the mess on the counter and then scooped her daughter up.

"I'm so sorry Dee."

"Don't worry about it, Ela. It's cleanable."

* * *

Glinda sat at her kitchen counter, sipping a cup of tea.

She couldn't believe it.

Elphie was married?

Elphie had a baby?

Suddenly, she set her cup down and whispered their names.

What she saw, was Elphaba, Fiyero, and their little girl with the same couple she'd seen them with a year earlier. The woman with the brown hair and the dark-skinned man.

They were the ones who turned Elphie against her.

She was sure of it.


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter 48.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Okay, here's how the girls (Sky's friends) line up:**

**Skyler-Idina's daughter**

**Neveah- Eden's daughter**

**Avery- Kristin's daughter**

**Chloe- Kendra's daughter**

**Madison- Stephanie's daughter**

**Kylie- Megan's daughter**

**Thanks to Sweet Lunacy for reviewing 47.**

Summer was underway.

New York was sweltering with the heat of so many people living in one space.

So it was one afternoon that Sky stopped by Elphaba and Fiyero's apartment, to find them gone. After she did a thorough search of the apartment, she went back in the hall. Looking around, she found the door of Desi and Kirra's apartment open. Elphaba had told her that night last year to head over to thier apartment if she couldn't get ahold of them.

She knocked on the open door, and then poked her head in.

"Um...is anyone home?"

No reply.

She stepped into the apartment.

"Hello?"

The apartment looked like Elphaba and Fiyero's. Just decorated differently. Sky looked around, before going to the kitchen; the window was open, and two girls were sitting on the fire escape, drinking iced tea and talking. The teenager bit her lip, and then spoke up.

"Um.....excuse me."

Both girls jumped.

"Who are you? What are you doing in here?" One of them asked. She had short, curly blonde hair and blue eyes.

"I....I don't mean to sneak up on you. I...I'm Sky. I'm Elphaba's baby sit--"

"Oh you're Sky." The brunette said, lifting her sunglasses and putting them on top of her head. The teen nodded. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Kirra." She reached through the open window, and shook Sky's hand. "That's Desi." Kirra said, nodding to the blonde.

"Wait, were you in Wicked with Elphaba and Fiyero?" The girls nodded. "Oh. What are you doing on the fire escape? Isn't it hot out there?"

"It's hotter in the house. Wanna join us?" Desi said.

"No thanks. I just....came by to....ask if you'd see Elphaba and.....they're missing....all three of them......"

She backed up, as Kirra climbed back through the window, dragging Desi with her.

"Oh um...Elphaba came by earlier this morning. She said to tell you that they'd taken Laney to Central."

"Central?"

Kirra rolled her eyes.

"Park."

"Oh. Right. But....why did she tell you? Why didn't she just leave me a note?"

"Probably because she figured you'd freak and come over here and ask where they were." Kirra said, refilling her glass. Sky glanced around quickly before giving her a sheepish smile.

"She knows me really well."

The older woman nodded.

"So Central Park? Did she say where?" Sky asked as Desi opened the freezer and added ice to her glass.

"Um....."

"Lasker Pool and Rink." Desi said. Sky nodded.

"Thanks."

* * *

After Sky headed back home, she changed into her bathing suit, and grabbed her tote, slipping a towel and a change of clothes into it. Her parents had gone to Harlem Meer earlier that day, leaving Sky to her own devices. Instead of hanging out with her friends, she opted to spend some time with Elphaba.

Like she didn't spend enough time with Elphaba and Fiyero.

Please.

Every chance she got, she hung out at thier apartment, helping with Laney, or babysitting when the two went out. She talked her parents into inviting them over every chance she got. It got to the point that Dee told her to leave to young couple alone for a few days.

Now, she walked into Central Park, sunglasses over her eyes, ignoring the catcalls and whistles of the boys as she passed. Sky didn't have a boyfriend, but there was this one kid that had a crush on her. It was getting to the point where he was pressuring her to sleep with him, and so, too embarassed to ask her parents about what to do, she had turned to Elphaba.

Finally, she made it to Lasker Pool and Rink. She paid the fare and entered. A quick scan, and then she spotted Elphaba's ebony hair.

"Elphaba!"

The raven head looked up, to see Sky coming towards her.

"So you found me?"

"Hi."

"So, what are you up too?"

"Nothing. A....actually I wanted to talk to you about something." Sky said. Elphaba closed the magazine she'd been flipping through, and set it on the tote at her feet. Sky noticed that the young mother wore a dark emerald bikini that set her black hair and pearl skin out. Just as Sky was about to speak, Laney came up, Fiyero holding her hand. She could see why Elphaba married him, just like she could see why her mom married her dad. He was gorgeous.

"Hey Sky."

"Hi Yero."

"Sky Sky!" Smiling, Sky reached out and ruffled the year old's hair.

"So, what brings you out here?" Fiyero asked.

"I...I was wondering if I could talk to Elphaba about something." Fiyero nodded.

"Let's head home, and we can talk." He said.

* * *

Late that afternoon, Elphaba sat across from Sky at their dining room table. Fiyero set Delaney in her high chair and handed her her sippy cup. He set a bowl with cereal in it, and a spoon in front of her. Then, he took the spoon, filled it with cereal, and held it out to her. She shook her head, her short raven hair swaying.

"Please Laney? You need to eat something." Fiyero said, leaning down to look eye to eye with his daughter.

"No Daddy."

Then, she reached out and took the spoon.

"I do it."

"All right. You do it." Fiyero said, raising his hands in surrender. He went to the kitchen, ruffling his child's hair as he went by. When he had settled next to Elphaba, his wife spoke up.

"Now, what did you want to talk about?"

Sky took a deep breath, and started.

"There's.......this.....guy. He was in my History class last year, and we were partnered for a couple projects. Well, he....he cornered me on afternoon after class, and asked me out."

Elphaba shrugged.

"So? That doesn't seem so bad. I would have given my wisdom teeth for a guy to corner me after class and ask me out when I was your age."

"Eye teeth." Sky said, correcting Elphaba's idiom.

"Yes, those too." The older woman replied.

"Go on." Fiyero said. Sky sighed.

"I told him no, that I wasn't interested, and he seemed to leave me alone for a while. And then on the last day of school, he gave me a small box with a ring in it."

"An engagement ring?" Yero said. Sky nodded.

"So what did you do?"

"I gave it back to him and told him it was nice but that I couldn't accept it."

"Has anything been happening since school got out?" Sky nodded again.

"Last week when I was at the bookstore with Avery and Chloe, he came up to me and asked me to sleep with him."

"What did you tell him?" Yero asked.

"I told him no. That I didn't want to. That I wanted to wait to have sex. He doesn't get it."

"It sounds like you have a stalker."

* * *

Later that night, when Elphaba and Fiyero took Sky home, they told Dee and Taye exactly what Sky had told them.

Taye's first instinct was to beat the kid to a bloody pulp. Only Laney crawling into his lap kept him from actually doing it.

"So what do we do?" Elphaba asked.

"We go to the police." Dee said.

Sky nodded, feeling sorry that she'd brought it up at all.


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter 49. **

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Question: I'm assuming she (Sky) was afraid to tell Dee and Taye, right?**

**Answer: Yeah. Basically, Sky weighed her options, and decided that telling Fiyero and Elphaba would have been safer than telling her parents. She was afraid her parents would probably blame her for it-when they wouldn't- and so she went with the second option, because she knew Fiyero and Elphaba would hear her out instead of jumping to conclusions. **

**Thanks to ghostly bender, Elphaba1Fan, and Sweet Lunacy for reviewing 48.**

Dee and Taye went to the police the next afternoon. A restraining order was filed, which made Sky feel a little better.

Four days later, when Sky was with Elphaba at the bookstore, she was met with the kid from her History class, who cornered her in the Travel section.

"Sky."

The girl looked up, to see Ethan, standing a few feet from her.

"Wh...what are you doing here? You're not supposed to be within twenty feet of me. Didn't you read the restraining order?" She asked, side-stepping him. He followed.

"Yeah, I did. And I don't believe it. It's a way for you parents to keep us apart. They won't accept the fact that we're in love." He told her.

Sky laughed.

"I'm not in love with you! That's all in your sick, twisted mind."

He grabbed her arm.

"No it's not. We're in love. They just won't accept it. They can't accept what they won't acknowledge. They don't understand."

"They understand perfectly. That you're nuts." She snapped. "Let go of me!"

"No. Because it's not true. You love me, and I love you."

"Elphaba!"

"Elphaba? Who's Elphaba?"

"Sky? What's going on?" The two turned, to see Elphaba, Delaney in her arms, standing behind them, her long raven hair over her shoulder.

Instantly, Ethan released Sky. She rushed to her friend, hiding behind her.

"Who are you?"

"None of your business." Elphaba replied.

"Elphaba, this is....Ethan. The guy who's been following me." Sky said, from behind her friend.

"So, this is the guy who's been stalking you." Elphaba said.

"I'm not stalking her. I love her."

"Stalking isn't love. Anyone who stalks another person doesn't love them." Elphaba replied. Then, she grabbed Sky's hand, and pulled her to the exit. "Come on Sky. Let's go."

* * *

"You're right. He's nuts." Elphaba said, half an hour later as the girls sat at a small cafe.

Sky nodded.

"Yeah."

"Mama. Eat." Delaney said, holding a small part of the cinnamon roll Elphaba had on her plate up to her mother in her sticky little hand. Elphaba shook her head.

"No baby."

But the little girl was persistent, shoving the bite against her mother's lips until she relented, opening her mouth. Laney smiled, and reached down, picking up another piece and eating it. Elphaba chewed, rolling her eyes. Sky cracked a half smile.

"Sky Sky. Eat." Laney held out another piece of her mother's cinnamon roll, and Sky took it, popping it in her mouth, as a smile broke out on Laney's face. As far as she was concerned, she had control over both Elphaba _and_ Sky, and could make them do whatever her year old mind could come up with.

"What do I do?" Sky asked, sipping her tea.

"We tell your parents."

* * *

"You sure we should do this?" Sky asked, as Elphaba pushed open the door.

"Trust me. I may not have experience with stalkers, but I do have experience with trouble. And once it gets out of hand, there's no controlling it. Believe me, I have _plenty_ of personal experience. Better to nick this thing in the head, before it gets out of hand."

"Nip this thing in the bud."

"Yes, well, that too. Come on."

Once they were in the parlor, Elphaba set her purse on the side table, and hurried into the kitchen, pulling Sky behind her.

"Elphaba, it's not a big deal." Sky complained.

"Yes it is." Elphaba snapped.

"What's not a big deal?" Dee asked, as she set the table.

So Elphaba told them about what she'd walked into at the bookstore. Then, she had Sky tell them the whole conversation between her and Ethan.

"I'll kill him. That son of a-"

"TAYE!" Elphaba snapped, Laney in her arms, her daughter' head against her mother's breast, as she covered her other ear with her hand. "Not in front of Laney!" He sighed.

"I'm sorry Ela, it's just that--"

"I know, Taye." Elphaba said, removing her hand from her daughter's ear and shifting her to her other side. "I know."


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter 50.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Question: Can she (Elphaba) still use magic?**

**Answer: read the next chapter and see....**

**Thanks to Elphaba1Fan, ohmycarlisletwilight, and ghostly bender for reviewing 49.**

Elphaba looked up, to see Fiyero slip into bed next to her.

Six days after Sky's encounter with Ethan, Elphaba and Fiyero had kept a close eye on the teenager. The girl was quiet and looked over her shoulder every five minutes. Neither Elphaba, nor Fiyero, could blame her.

Now, she snuggled into her husband's arms.

"Do you think Sky's okay?" She asked, pressing her cheek against his chest.

"I don't know. I do know she's scared. And I don't blame her." He replied, rubbing her back.

* * *

Something hitting her window woke Sky from her slumber.

Still half asleep, she sat up, and rubbed her eyes. Nothing but shadows met her. Quickly, she looked around, before turning to her window.

What met her, brought the scream from her throat.

And with good reason.

Ethan, climbing through her bedroom window.

* * *

A scream jerked Dee awake.

She looked up, to see Taye pulling on his robe, and throwing open the bedroom door before quickly following. As they made it out into the hall, Dee saw the door to the guest room open and Fiyero and Elphaba come out into the hall. Sky had begged the two to stay the night, feeling safer with them around.

"What's wrong?" Elphaba asked. Dee shrugged. "Oh god, Laney!"

Quickly, the young mother raced to the room next to hers, where her daughter lay sleeping.

Still half asleep, Dee watched Taye throw Sky's bedroom door open, revealing Ethan cornering her daughter.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Daddy!"

Quickly, Sky slipped away from Ethan, and hid behind her mother, who was now fully awake. Allowing his temper to get the better of him, Taye grabbed Ethan by the front of his shirt, and pulled him out into the hall. Elphaba, by then, had come back into the hall, Laney in her arms.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

"TAYE!" Elphaba screamed, covering Laney's ears.

Taye ignored her. Pulling back, he gave a good swing, hitting Ethan in the nose. Not to say it didn't draw blood- it broke his nose.

"Elphaba, call 911." Fiyero said. He'd gently pushed Sky back into thier room, and now went to get control of her father.

* * *

Light's flashed.

The neighbors came out onto their front steps, dressed in pajamas and robes, watching the police drag a young teenager from the Diggs' townhouse in handcuffs.

"Let go of me! I wasn't doing anything wrong! I love her! Sky's my fiancee! We're going to elope to Vegas next week! Let go!"

Sky buried her face in her mother's chest, as she watched him being lead away.

The police had shown up not long after Elphaba placed the call, and come in to find Taye attempting to beat Ethan to a bloody pulp. When Sky had told them what had happened, they arrested the teen for violating his restraining order. He had a good four months waiting for him in Juve.

When the police left, Elphaba handed Taye an ice pack.

The small group was sitting in the living room; Dee had made tea, and disappeared upstairs. Soon, she came back down, a crying Laney in her arms.

"Shh. Shh. Hush Laney, hush. It's okay. See? Everyone's here. The bad guy's gone. Do you want Mama? Hmm?" Dee asked, trying her hardest to comfort the little girl.

"Oh, Laney. Come here sweetheart." Elphaba said, getting up and going to Dee. She took her daughter in her arms, and gently kissed her cheek.

"Honestly Taye." Dee said, sitting next to her husband and removing the ice pack. She examined his hand, shaking her head.

"I was trying to protect my baby girl." He replied, wincing when she gently curled his fingers.

"I won't deny that I wouldn't have done the same thing if Laney was in Sky's shoes." Fiyero said, sitting next to Sky and rubbing her back. The teenager was shaken, trying hard not to cry. Then, she broke, leaning into Fiyero, sobbing. Gently, he wrapped his arms around her, and rubbed her back, kissing her hair and whispering softly to her.

* * *

No one slept, except Laney, who slept peacefully in her mother's arms.

The rest stayed up, until early morning, talking or sitting in silence.

They'd moved to the kitchen, sitting in the dining room.

"He's nuts." Dee said.

"He's not nuts, he's psychotic. Absolutely psychotic." Elphaba said, gently rocking her daughter.


	51. Chapter 51

**Chapter 51.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to Elphaba1Fan, ghostly bender, Elphiethegood, and Sweet Lunacy for reviewing 50.**

_"You're still beautiful." _

_"You don't have to lie to me."_

_"It's not lying….. It's looking at things another way."_

_"Glinda we can't stay. They'd find out eventually, and we'd be killed anyway. That's why we need to get away. We need to leave Oz and never come back."_

_"I've magicked it so all you have to do is whisper our names and it'll bring up whereever we are. You can watch us then."_

_"Maybe she didn't hide it from you honey. Maybe she didn't know. It could be possible." _

_"No. She kept something from me. She kept a major secret...."_

_"Ela.... honey, she's still your best friend--"_

_"No! She's not! Anyone who keeps secrets isn't a best friend!"_

_"Maybe she was trying to protect--"_

_"She wasn't trying to protect me! She wasn't trying to do anything! And it's so typical of her! She'd do anything to further her position. Grovel if she had to. Blackmail. Murder."_

_"But honey--"_

_"No. You don't know her like I do. You don't know Glinda Upland like I do. She's an Upland. And an Upland will do anything to get what she wants. And as far as I'm concerned, she's no longer a friend of mine. As far as I'm concerned, I never met Glinda Upland."_

_"Who are you?"_

_"Don't you remember me, Elphie?" _

_"No. I don't."_

Glinda woke up with a scream. Quickly, she looked around, before turning on her bedside lamp.

Nothing.

It was just a nightmare.

Slowly, she got out of bed, and went into the kitchen, making herself a cup of tea. Her fingers found Elphaba's necklace dangling around her throat, and absentmindedly, she whispered thier names.

* * *

"Ela what are you doing?"

"Shh."

"Ela---"

"SHH!" Elphaba snapped. She was sitting cross-legged on the sofa in Dee's living room, flipping through the Grimmerie.

After a moment, she stopped, and softly whispered something eyes never leaving the book.

"Ela---"

Then, Elphaba stopped. She looked around quickly.

"Well, where is it?"

"Where's what, Ela?" Taye asked, from the armchair.

"That candle. I just majicked a candle to float, and I don't see it. I don't understand, I said the spell correctly, it should be here---" Elphaba said, flipping through the book.

"Ela- Ela- Ela!" Elphaba looked up, to see Dee standing over her.

"What?"

"Ela, I don't think you're a witch anymore."

"Wait. So she lost her magic?" Sky asked, holding Laney in her arms. The little girl reached up and pulled on the teen's hair.

Dee nodded. Elphaba slumped back against the sofa, dumbfounded, as Fiyero settled next to his wife.

"So what does that mean?" She asked, sitting down on the floor with Laney in her arms.

"It means she's mortal."

* * *

"It means she's mortal."

Glinda looked down at the stones, to see the small group sitting in a living room.

"Elphaba?"

She watched, silent, until they headed upstairs.

Glinda sighed.

Someday.

Someday soon.

She'd find Elphie and bring her home.


	52. Chapter 52

**Chapter 52. **

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Glinda and Elphaba meet....and this time, there's no denial.....**

**Question: If they do go back to Oz, would Elphaba turn green again, or would she stay the same?**

**Answer: Go back to Oz? Who said anything about going back to Oz? Maybe....**

**Question: And, who would Laney take after?**

**Answer: Well, hypothetically speaking, 'if' they went back to Oz, Elphaba's skin would return to green- if they'd gone back not long _after_ they got to New York. But, since they've lived in NY for the last few years, if they go back_ now_, Elphaba's skin would remain white, and so would Laney's. Yes, since she was born in our world, if she went to Oz, she would still have the skin she was born with. Laney would take after her mother, 'if' they went back to Oz NOW.**

**Thanks to Sweet Lunacy, Elphaba1Fan, ghostly bender, and Elphiethegood for reviewing 51. **

Two years passed.

Laney, now three, preferred to do things by herself instead of having her parents help her. She yet to start kindergarten, but had made several friends with the other kids on Broadway, but still liked to play by herself more. She was a pretty little girl with pearl skin, long, thick, black hair, moss green eyes, and freckles on her nose.

Sky, now nineteen, and soon to be a freshman at college, still lived with her parents, and still watched Laney when Elphaba and Fiyero went out. She didn't mind. Things had seemed to get better for the girl once she graduated high school. A soon-to-be directing major at NYU, she was planning on also getting her minor in musical theater. The only downside to Sky's little bubble was that Ethan- who had been released from Juve five months after he was taken there- kept stalking her.

Dee and Taye were still working on Broadway, with Ela and Yero.

Glinda, meanwhile, still worked at Life, only instead she was the hostess at the small diner instead of a waitress.

So, it was one afternoon when their fates collided at a showing of Wicked, starring the original revival cast.

* * *

Elphaba moved up to Desi, broom in hand.

"Who's invention was that, anyway? The Wizard's? Although even if it wasn't, I'm sure he'd still take credit for it."

Desi stuck her nose in the air.

"Yes, well, a lot of us are taking things that don't belong to us, _aren't we_?"

Elphaba spun around, and marched towards the blonde.

"Now wait just a clock tick. I know it may be hard for that blissful, blonde, bubbleheaded brain of yours to comprehend, that someone like him, could love someone like me. But it's happened, it's real. And you can wave that ridiculous wand all you want, you can't change it. He doesn't belong to you. He doesn't love you, and he never did. He loves me!" She stopped, as Desi slapped her hard.

Slowly, Elphaba pursed her lips, turned her head, and cackled.

"Feel better?" She asked, when she'd regained her breath.

"Yes, I do."

Elphaba nodded.

"Good." A hard fist slap across the face, sending Desi reeling. "So do I."

Glinda watched, wincing as she remembered that fight. Elphaba had never forgiven her.

* * *

Curtain call came and went, and soon, Elphaba had changed out of costume and back into her street clothes, make up off. She met up with Yero, Desi, and the rest of the cast, outside the stage door, signing autographs and taking pictures. When the last fan left, giddy with excitement, left, leaving the cast with the late afternoon and evening off. It was the last performance of the week, the Sunday matinee, and they agreed to meet at Life for lunch. Afterwards, the small group went thier separate ways, Fiyero and Taye had something to take care of, so they left Dee, Elphaba, and Laney to spend some much needed girl time with Sho and the others.

* * *

"She's getting so big." Dee said, as the small group left the cafe, heading to the park.

"She's an absolute darling." Stephanie said, ruffling Laney's hair.

"Thank you." The little girl smiled, and reached up, taking Stephanie's hand.

Glinda was sitting in Sheep's Meadow after the show, trying to figure out how to talk to Elphaba.

She looked up, to see two women coming her way.

"Dee!"

"Oh Come on Ela, you know you were thinking it!"

The others had broken off, taking Laney to the petting zoo, they'd meet up in Sheep's Meadow shortly. As Elphaba and Dee spread out a red blanket under one of the trees in the meadow, Glinda decided to make her move, getting up and going over to them.

She should have kept her mouth shut.

Instead, she said,

"Elphie?"

The two women turned, shocked to see her there. And Glinda saw white skin instead of green, like the skin she'd seen on stage a few short hours ago.

"Your not my Elphie." Glinda said. She paced the grass in front of them, while Elphaba and Dee sat on the blanket, listening to her rant. "My Elphie's green."

She stopped, and turned, examining the raven head closely.

"Oh my Oz. You are Elphie. But...but I don't... you remember me, don't you? Glinda. From Shiz. We were roommates. Remember?" She asked, kneeling in front of Elphaba. The woman pulled away, standing.

_"I remember you. You're the one who knew my father's the Wizard, and kept it from me!" _Elphaba snapped.

"What? Elphie, I never meant...I didn't mean to...." She reached out and grabbed the woman's arm; Elphaba for her part, quickly wrenched away.

"Who are you?" Dee asked. Glinda turned on her.

"You! You're the one who turned my Elphie against me! It's your fault she's like this! It's your fault she hates me!" Fists clenched, Dee stepped up to her.

"Back off!"

"What's going on here?" The women turned, to see Stephanie, Laney in her arms, standing behind them.

"Is something wrong?" Eden asked, joining the small group.

"Well, well, well, who _do we have here_?" Glinda turned slowly, to see Sho, arms crossed and scowling, standing behind her. The blonde pulled herself to her full height, and glared at Sho.

"None of your business."

"Well, then what are you doing here, exactly?" Sho asked, slowly walking up to her.

"I....I'm here to take Elphie home." She said, before turning and grabbing Elphaba's wrist. "Come on, Elphie. We're getting Fiyero and going back to Oz."

She dragged Elphaba away from the girls, and seemed to have her way, until Elphaba wrenched away from her.

_"No!"_

Glinda turned.

"What do you mean, no? You're coming home with me! You and Fiyero both!"

_"I'm not going back with you! And neither is Yero!"_

Glinda scoffed.

"And why not?"

"Mama!" Elphaba turned back, to see Laney reaching out for her.

It was the baby Glinda had seen that night in the necklace. Only she was older, with long black hair, and moss green eyes, the same pearl skin as Elphaba. Sighing, Elphaba went to Stephanie, and took her daughter in her arms.

"Who the hell is that?" Glinda asked. Elphaba looked at her.

"Delaney."

"Delaney?"

"My _daughter_. My and Yero's _daughter_."

"Mama who is that?" Laney asked, pointing to Glinda. Gently, Elphaba kissed her three-year-old's hair.

"No one, baby. No one important." She whispered, holding her daughter close.

"'No one important.' Is that what you think? Is that what you tell your daughter?" Glinda cried.

_"She doesn't even know you! And with good reason! You're a nut! An absolute nut!"_ Elphaba screamed, pressing her cheek against Laney's temple and whispering softly too her.

"Here, give her to me." Megan said, coming up to Elphaba. She'd caught the last few words, and knew that this was something Laney shouldn't see. Nodding, Elphaba handed Laney to Megan, who took the little girl to a grassy spot further away from the arguement. She passed Dee, grabbing the brunette's arm.

"Call Taye and Yero. Now." Dee nodded, and pulled out her cell.

* * *

"Dee? Dee, what's wrong?" Taye asked, as he, Yero, and Sky hurried to the brunette.

"Uh..." She didn't say anthing, just gestured to the confrontation a few feet away.

"Where's Laney?" Yero asked, his paternal instincts on alert.

"With Megan." She said, pointing in the other direction. Instantly, Sky took off running, planning on staying and entertaining the little girl. Once she was gone, Yero and Taye turned their atteniton to the arguement.

"Come back with me." Glinda begged.

"Why don't you go away?" Sho suggested, putting herself between the blonde and Elphaba. Dee was right, Sho was one of the best allies you could ask for.

"I wasn't _asking_ you." The blonde snapped.

"Look, just because you think Ela should go back with you, doesn't mean she should. It's _her_ decision, _not _yours."

"Sho." Gently, Elphaba moved past her friend.

"You're coming back with me, Elphie. Both you and Fiyero." Glinda said, grabbing Elphaba's hand. The woman shook her head.

"No."

"But.....Why won't you come back?" Glinda asked, tears welling in her eyes, as Elphaba pulled away. Silent, Elphaba reached behind her; Fiyero went to his wife and took her hand, squeezing her hand gently.

_"Because, I'm happy here."_ Elphaba said. _"I was never happy in Oz. I have a life, a career, and a family. I have a husband, and a beautiful baby girl. I'm.....successful, both Yero and I are. We have people who love us here, who treat us like family. I love New York, I love this city, and this world, and I'm not leaving. I'm not going back to Oz. Never."_

"But Elphie--"

Elphaba shook her head.

_"No Glinda."_

"Why can't you see that they're poisoning you against me!" Glinda cried, reaching out for Elphaba again.

That's it.

Dee snapped.

Temper flaring, she pushed past Elphaba, Fiyero, and the others, marched up to Glinda, reared back, and slapped her- hard. The sound echoed through the small area, and caused everyone there to hold thier breath.

_"How dare you, you little bitch! If anyone- ANYONE- is trying to poison Ela, it's you! All you care about is yourself! You've never cared about anyone but yourself! Taye and I care about Ela more than you ever have and ever will!" _

"Dee! Dee!" She roughly shrugged her husband's hands off her shoulders.

"You don't know me!"

_"I know you a lot better than you think! You say you want to do good, that you are good, but guess what, you're not. If anyone is the Wicked Witch, it's you." _Then, she turned, and took Elphaba's arm. "Come on, Ela, let's go."

Glinda watched them leave.

"I always thought you were a life ruiner. I was right." Sho told Glinda before leaving.

The blonde choked out tears, and in one last desperate attempt to win Elphie back,

"Elphie!"

Neither Elphaba, nor Fiyero, looked back.

_"Elphie!"_


	53. Chapter 53

**Chapter 53.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long! I've been busy getting ready for classes to start soon, so I haven't updated......**

**A/N: And I know the girls ganged up on Glinda, but Elphaba was threatened, and so they protect her.....**

**A/N: Steamy chapter next.......with a twist.....**

**Question: I mean life-ruiner?**

**Answer: Well, see, Sho has never been real impressed with Glinda. Basically, Sho sees everything that Elphaba went through as Glinda's fault because Glinda refused to stand up to Morrible and the Wizard, and defend her friend; she just let them get away with it. **

**Thanks to Sweet Lunacy, Elphaba1Fan, lizziemagic, ohmycarlisletwilight23, -greenTARDISgal-, and CarlislesEsmeCullen for reviewing 52.**

Elphaba landed heavily on the sofa in thier apartment, sighing.

"Mama."

She looked up when Laney walked over to her, and pulled her daughter into her lap.

"Here." The girl looked up, accepting the cup of tea Eden held out.

"Thanks." Eden nodded, and sat next to her.

"I can't believe her. She _actually_ had the _nerve_ to show up and try to take Ela away from her _home_." Sho said, as she settled in the armchair.

"I know Sho, I know." Stephanie said, sitting on the other side of Elphaba. Dee sat on the arm of Sho's chair, and sipped her coffee.

"What I want to know is how she got here in the first place." Megan said, sitting in the other armchair. Fiyero leaned against the back of the sofa, and Taye perched on the arm of Megan's chair.

"I don't know." Elphaba whispered. They sipped their tea in silence, before Fiyero spoke up.

"The portal." Elphaba looked back at him.

"What?"

"The portal."

The others stared at him. After talking with Dee and Taye, they had told the rest of the group the truth. Sho had kept her promise and kept her mouth shut. At first, the others hadn't believed them, but slowly, they had come around. Now, Fiyero explained the portal and how he and Elphaba got here.

"It's hard to imagine our lives back then. Before we were married, had our own place. Before Laney." Elphaba said, sipping her tea as she ran her fingers through her child's hair.

"_Are_ you _going_ to go back to Oz?" Megan asked, fear etched in her voice.

Silence, and then,

"No. We don't belong in Oz. We never have, either Yero or I. And I wouldn't want to expose Laney to that type of culture. Where her father is supposedly dead, and her mother's a fugative. No. We're staying here. We want Laney to have a normal childhood."

"Laney is _never_ going to have a normal childhood, sweetheart. She's the daughter of two actors. Her life is going to be anything _but_ normal." Fiyero said.

"I didn't." Sky said, sitting on the edge of the sofa.

"Yes, well, you turned out all right." Taye joked. "And Eydena will too."

"Eydena?" Stephanie asked.

"Laney." Elphaba said. The other woman nodded.

"Why do you call her 'Eydena', Taye?" Eden asked, looking at the man. The smile he wore faded instantly.

"Um....uh......" The others waited, curious. "Well, you see......"

"Yes?" Elphaba said. He smiled at her.

"Just cause I want to." He said, giving Elphaba a big smile. The woman rolled her eyes.

Laney soon climbed down from her mother's lap and went to Taye, who scooped the girl into his arms. Fiyero finished his tea, set the cup in the kitchen sink, and soon came back, wrapping his arms around Elphaba's shoulders and placing a kiss on her neck. He tightened his grip, and continued to gently nibble on his wife's soft skin, chuckling silently as he felt her shiver and jump slightly underneath her. Laney covered her eyes with her hands, and then peeked through her fingers, as the others chuckled. When the two finally pulled apart, Elphaba looked up at him, and planted a quick kiss on his lips.

* * *

Glinda wiped the tears from her cheeks.

What now?

Go back to Oz?

* * *

The other's soon left, saying they'd meet up the next afternoon.

Soon, Elphaba and Fiyero put Laney to bed, kissing her goodnight, and reading her a bedtime story.

Then, they retired to bed.

"Yero."

"What is it, Ela?"

Fiyero turned from turning down the covers, to see Elphaba leaning against the bedroom door, a coy smile on her face. She was dressed in a powder blue mesh and lace babydoll and thong, her long black hair tumbling around her shoulders and back in waves. She wore the subtle hints of makeup, and a pair of white heels. He eyed her, and she raised her head, exposing the graceful curve of her neck. Her smile widened.

"Oh Fiyero......"


	54. Chapter 54

**Chapter 54. **

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: two parts marriage, one part bedroom, one part privacy, two parts steamyness, add in a surprise twist at the end, and bake for thirty minutes....**

**Thanks to Sweet Lunacy, lizziemagic, Elphiethegood, -greenTARDISgal-, and Elphaba1Fan for reviewing 53.**

"Well? Are you going to come take me? Or is the outfit throwing you off? Should I change into something else? Or I can just remove it, if it'd be easier for you." She said, reaching up and running her pearl fingers along the hem of the neck. Slowly, her lips came out to lick at the light sheen of pink gloss on her soft pink lips.

She didn't have to tell him twice.

In two quick strides, he was in front of her, and held her in his arms, her legs wrapped around his waist. She kissed his passionately, as he took her back to the bed and laid her down, before sitting next to her. Elphaba sat up, and reached over, grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling it off him. Then, she worked on his jeans, before he finally pulled her babydoll and thong off and tossed them on the floor.

Their kisses turned passionate, and their hands roamed, their bodies pressing close. Finally, Elphaba lay back among the blankets and pillows, reveling in the feel of her husband's lips on hers, and she rolled her eyes, moaning as he gently parted her legs. She arched her back, allowing him better access, and cried out.

"Oh Yero!"

Their bodies moved in sync, a symphony as beautiful as the musicians taking part. His lips found the soft skin of her neck, and he gently nibbled on her skin, as she moaned in pleasure. Her long, slender pearl fingers moved into his hair, and tangled in the soft strands.

"I love you, Yero!"

"Oh Ela!"

"Harder Yero! I need you!"

Their bodies pressed, molding into one, fast and hard. When they finally collapsed, slick with sweat, Elphaba asked,

"Can we do it again?"

* * *

Their bodies pressed together, the rhythm they'd discovered years earlier in the woods of Oz replaying in both their minds. They reached their peak, their voices mingling as one.

"Make me feel wonderful, Yero!"

"I love you, Fae!"

Slowly, the bedroom door swung open.

"Mama?"

_"I feel Wicked, Yero! Oh god, for the first time, I feel Wicked!"_

It wasn't until the voice spoke again, louder this time, that Fiyero and Elphaba broke apart.

"Mama? Daddy? What are you doing?"


	55. Chapter 55

**Chapter 55.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Yero and Elphie have some explaining to do.....**

**Thanks to ohmycarlisletwilight23, Elphaba1Fan, and ghostly bender for reviewing 54.**

"Mama? What are you and Daddy doing?"

Fiyero broke the kiss he had given is wife, and looked up, to see Laney in the doorway.

"Yero, what---" Elphaba started, but she stopped, when her eyes landed on Laney. Her breath came in ragged gasps, and she sat up, quickly pulling the blanket around her chest. "Laney, baby, what are you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep." The little girl said, coming over to her parents and climbing onto the bed with them. Elphaba looked up when Fiyero climbed back into bed with them; she hadn't noticed that he'd gotten out of bed and changed back into his pajama bottoms.

"Come here sweet pea." Laney climbed into her father's lap, and cuddled into his arms.

"What were you and Mommy doing?" She asked, looking up at her father, her moss green eyes innocent. Fiyero and Elphaba looked at each other, unsure of how to answer.

"Um.....well, sweetie, you see.....we were.....um....."

"Yeah, Daddy?"

"Well um...." They locked eyes.

_Help me out, Ela._

"Laney, sweetie, we.....um....."

* * *

The next morning, Elphaba entered the kitchen, to find Dee leaning against the counter, a cup of coffee on the counter in front of her.

"Dee? What---?"

"Yero called. Asked me to come over."

"Wh....when......"

"You were still asleep."

"So where'd my husband disappear to?"

"He went to the store."

"At six a.m?"

Dee raised an eyebrow.

"Six? Ela, honey, it's after noon. It's one thirty."

Elphaba started.

"Oh."

"What'd you do? Stay up all night?"

"No." Elphaba said, sitting at the counter, and taking the offered tea. "Yero and I were....um.....you know....."

"Sex?" Elphaba nodded.

"And Laney..... Laney....." She stopped, embarrassed.

"What does Laney have to do with-- oh! She......she walked in on......" Elphaba nodded. "Did you tell her?" Another nod. "And how did she......"

"She asked a lot of questions. But that's normal with a three-year-old, right?" Dee nodded.

"Mama!" The two women looked up, to see Laney come into the room.

"Hey baby girl. Did you sleep okay?" Elphaba asked, scooping her daughter into her arms and sharing a glance with Dee.

* * *

Four days later, Elphaba closed the door to the bathroom.

She'd spent the last few days in the bathroom on and off all day.

"Mama?"

"I'll be out in a minute, baby." Elphaba said. She then heard Fiyero's voice.

"Daddy, Mama's sick."

"Come here sweet pea. Mama'll be out in a minute."

Twenty minutes later, Elphaba came into the living room, and plopped onto the sofa.

"Mama!" Laney climbed into her mother's lap and snuggled close. Fiyero set a cup of tea in front of his wife, and sat next to her.

"You okay love?" He asked, squeezing her hand. She turned to him, her dark eyes flashing fear and worry.

"Yero."

"What is it, darling. You can tell me, you know you can."

A shaky breath.

"I think I'm......."

Another breath.

"I think I'm pregnant."


	56. Chapter 56

**Chapter 56.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Question: what's happening with glinda? is she going back to oz?**

**Answer: You'll find out......in the next few chapters....**

**Question: Another possible baby?**

**Answer: you'll see.....**

**Thanks to Elphab1Fan and ohmycarlisletwili****ght23, Sweet Lunacy for reviewing 55. And thanks to -greenTARDISgal- for reviewing both 54 and 55.**

"What if it's positive? Yero, we can't raise another baby. We don't have the room. We're going to have to move into a bigger apartment. We can't afford too." Elphaba said, looking from the test in her hands to her husband.

Gently, he pulled her into a hug.

"We'll be fine, love. We'll get through it, we always do. We did when Laney was born."

"But that was different, Yero. She's our first. And we had an extra room. We don't have an extra room now. And we can't get a new apartment, because we can't afford it." She said, pulling away.

"What do you suggest we do?" He asked softly, cupping her face in his hands.

"Move back in with Dee and Taye?"

"Do you want to?"

"No. Sky would be happy though."

"Honey, if we have to move in with Dee and Taye, we will."

"I know, but I don't want to. They've been wonderful, they have, all of them, but....I don't want to burden them. The last thing they need is to watch over us. We're adults. We can take care of ourselves, and our baby......our babies......by.......by ourselves. We don't need their help."

"Sweetheart, Dee and Taye are going to watch over us and help whether we want them too or not. That's just who they are. They care deeply. Be grateful we've got them."

"I am! I just....."

"I know. I know." They both looked down at the test in Elphaba's hands. "Now, let's go see if we're having another baby." She nodded, and let him peck her cheek, before slipping into the bathroom.

* * *

The bathroom door opened, and Elphaba stepped out, the test in her hands. Fiyero met his wife's eyes, as she held it out to him. Silent, he took it.

Lines.

Two, dark blue lines.

"I'm pregnant, Yero."

Fiyero looked up to see his wife leaning against the doorframe, tears in her eyes and her lower lip quivering. Then, she broke down, holding out her arms, as he pulled her to him. She buried her face in his shirt, sobbing, holding tight to him. Gently, he rubbed her back, and murmured to her.

"Hush love, hush."

Finally, he led her to the living room, and sat he gently on the sofa, before going to the phone.

"Hey Taye, it's Yero..... Yeah....Would you and Dee mind coming over? We need to talk to you about something......okay......okay. Thanks. Bye."

Elphaba looked back at him, tears sliding down her cheeks.

* * *

"Yero, what's wrong?" Dee asked, as she stepped into the apartment. She turned, to see Elphaba sitting on the sofa, wiping tears off her cheeks. "Ela? What's wrong?" Quickly, she hurried to her friend, sitting next to her as Sky and Taye followed Fiyero to the kitchen. They all listened closely, as Fiyero got the others coffee, and soon joined Elphaba and Idina in the living room.

"Honey, tell me, what's wrong?"

Elphaba took a shaky breath.

"I'm _mumble-mumble_ Dee."

"What? Ela, I didn't hear you." The older woman asked, leaning forward.

"I said I'M PREGNANT!" Elphaba screamed, looking at her friend. Dee, Taye, and Sky all looked up, shocked, eyes wide.

"Woah." Was the unison response. Sobbing, Elphaba buried her head in Dee's lap, as Fiyero sat next to his wife and dug his fingers into her long, ebony hair.

"Wait, how did this happen?" Sky asked, sitting down in the armchair. Taye raised an eyebrow. "Never mind. I know how it happened." Sky said, shaking her head. "How.....whe....when did you find out?"

"This morning." Fiyero whispered. "Hush love, it's okay. We'll get through this."

Finally, Elphaba's sobs subsided, and she sat up, wiping the tears from her cheeks. Fiyero rubbed her back, and gently placed a kiss on her cheek.

"No we won't. Yero, we _can't_ have another baby." She told him, meeting his eyes.

"Why not?" Sky asked, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Because we aren't ready."

"We weren't ready when we had Laney either, darling. And we got through it. Face it sweetheart. Our little Laney was a surprise, we certainly weren't expecting her. And we managed to through your pregnancy and her birth and the first few months after we brought her home from the hospital. And we'll do the same with this baby. We'll be fine." Fiyero told her, kissing her hair.

Elphaba shook her head, and looked down at her belly, gently resting her hands over her womb.

"We can't. We aren't ready. What do we do? We're going to have to get a new apartment.....or....give the baby up."

"You could stay with us." Sky said. Elphaba shook her head.

"No. The last thing we need to do is burden you with a move and a new baby. We won't do that to you." Elphaba said.

"We'll figure out something love. I promise." Fiyero said, as Elphaba curled into his embrace.

* * *

"All right Dee, what's _so important_ that I had to cancel recording? I have _a deadline you know_. This album _has_ to be finished by Friday, and I don't have time to go on one of your adventures around NYC." Sho said, plunking down in Dee's armchair in her living room.

"Glad you could make it Sho." Taye said, passing through the living room to answer the door. The woman looked up, to see Megan and Stephanie sitting on the sofa, just as annoyed as herself.

"Taye, I want to know why you called us over here, without telling us anything." The others looked up to see Kristin and Eden standing in the doorway.

"Come on in. Dee will explain everything."

"I hope so. I feigned family emergency to get out of recording. And I don't do it often, so it better be damn important, or my agent is going to have my head on a silver platter. And trust me, you don't want to see him when he gets mad, it's _not_ pretty." Sho said.

"I know." Dee said, as she entered and took the extra armchair, as Eden and Kristin settled on the sofa with Megan and Stephanie. "And trust me, it is."

"So what is it?" Megan asked. Dee licked her lips.

"Elphaba's pregnant."

"That's great." Eden said. Dee nodded.

"Yeah, but they need to get a bigger apartment, and Elphaba doesn't want to move, because she's worried about not being able to support another baby."

"And Fiyero?"

"He's trying to convince her that a move is a good thing."

"So.....what does that have to do with us?" Stephanie asked.

Dee sighed, and leaned forward.

"Well, what I was thinking was....."


	57. Chapter 57

**Chapter 57.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: I now have a poll up, so you can vote on whether Ela's carrying a boy or a girl. It's up to you! So I urge you to vote!**

**A/N: And Eden's nickname- Ede- is pronounced like 'Ee-dee'- like Edie Falco's name.**

**Question: Exactly how much did they tell Laney?**

**Answer: Um....well, as you can imagine, she's a curious little girl, so.....**

**Thanks to Sweet Lunacy, -greenTARDISgal-, lizziemagic, Elphaba1Fan, ghostly bender, Elphiethegood, and ohmycarlisletwilight23 for reviewing 56.**

Elphaba's first trimester went by pretty quickly. So did her second trimester.

Seeing as she was always small, she didn't show, so it didn't even look like she was pregnant. She and Yero spent most of their time working, or spending it with Dee and Taye. And while they kept Elphaba and Fiyero occupied, the girls spent their time planning their little surprise for the young couple. So it was one afternoon during one of Elphaba's check ups that the girls met up at Habitat New York, one of the best rental agencies in New York State.

"So, what exactly are you looking for?"

"Well, it's for some close friends of ours. They've got a little girl and have another one on the way, and the apartment they are currently living in is only two bedrooms, and they're going to need another one for the new baby." Megan said.

"Oh that's wonderful. When is she due?" The agent, Nina, asked.

"February. Three months." Eden said. They'd found out back in July that Elphaba was due in February, and the young couple refused to say whether it was a boy or a girl.

"All right. And this is a gift for them?" Nina asked. The girls nodded.

"Okay. What kind of apartment do you want for them?"

Sho looked at the others, the girls didn't answer, so Sho spoke up.

"Um....Well, their oldest is three. So maybe a three bedroom with a view. I know Ela's taken to watching the sky at night. Maybe something like that?" Nina nodded, and pulled out seven binders. She opened them up, and checked the number of rooms. Then, she removed three, leaving four for the girls to look through.

"Now, this one is in Midtown West. Chelsea. The first bedroom and the third bedroom are connected, and the second room is next to the third. All three rooms open to a terrace. Maybe that one?"

Eden looked at the others.

"Maybe."

Megan flipped through one binder, eyeing a four bedroom apartment in Harlem. Finally, she closed the binder, and handed it to Nina.

"Not that one."

Three left. Then two.

Stephanie slowly flipped through the closest one near her, and soon found Kirstin and Eden looking over her shoulder. Soon, Sho and Megan joined in, watching as Stephanie turned the pages.

"Wait, stop!" Sho put her hand over the page. She pointed to a small aclove in the master bedroom. "That's it."

"What, Sho?" Megan asked.

"Remember how Ela is always talking about wanting a reading nook? That's it." Sho said, turning Nina. "I think we found it."

* * *

"You're doing great, Ela. The baby's strong and healthy, all I want you to do is slow down. You don't have to do everything within the next three months. That's part of the reason you haven't been feeling as well with this pregnancy as with Laney's, you've been doing to much, you need to slow down. Okay? Can you do that for me?"

Elphaba nodded as she sat up. Gently, Dee squeezed her shoulder, before scooping Laney into her arms.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Sky asked. Dee and Taye had dragged Sky along to watch Laney during Elphaba's check up. Now, she stood bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"We don't want to know yet. We want to wait." Fiyero told the teen.

"But that's not fair--"

"But it's our baby." Elphaba said, giving the girl a smile. "If it'll make you feel better, you can be there for the birth."

"She'll be there anyway, she'll have to look after Laney." Dee said. "While we help her Mama with the labor."

"Laney's not going to be there. The last thing she needs is to be scarred for life." Fiyero said. Elphaba nodded.

"I am too." Laney said, glaring at her father. The adults just rolled their eyes, laughing.

"Well, I want you to get plenty of rest, and slow down. I mean it Ela. Slow down." The doctor said, walking the small group out. Elphaba nodded.

"I will. I promise."

* * *

Once they left the hospital, Dee slipped off to make a phone call.

After two rings, Eden picked up.

"Hey Sho? It's Dee."

"Hey Dee. How's Ela?"

"Doctor said she's doing fine. Did you find the apartment, Sho?"

"Why don't you ask her--"

"Oh, okay. Who is this?"

"Eden."

"Oh. Sorry Eden. I thought you were--"

"I know. And, Sho's working on unlocking the door to Ela and Yero's apartment."

"Oh, the new one?"

"No. The one they're in now. We're working on moving everything out of the apartment to the new one."

"Oh, good. Did you find the apartment? The new one?"

"Yep. Are they going to be staying with you?"

"Yeah, the doctor wants Ela to be watched, she's making herself sick; doing too much."

"Good."

Voices could be heard in the background.

"Hey Ede! A little help would be appreciated!"

"We aren't putting your name on the card unless you get your ass over here!"

"Come on, Ede! Move it!"

"One minute Meg, it's Dee!"

Boxes were dropped, and footsteps were heard.

"Dee! Let me talk to her!"

"Jeez Meg, what did you drop? I hope it wasn't valuable!"

"Oh relax Steph, it was silverware! Hey Dee, how's Ela?"

"She's doing good. The baby's healthy, she's healthy, she just needs to slow down and relax."

A laugh.

"Sounds like Ela."

"Hey, Meg, are you going come back and get this or what?"

"I will in a minute Steph!"

"Never mind, I'll get it. I know you, when you get on the phone, you talk and talk and talk....."

Stephanie's voice faded as she disappeared down the hall.

"Sorry about that Dee."

"Don't worry about it, Meg. I'd better get going, the others are waiting for me."

"Okay, tell Ela and Yero hello for us."

"I will, bye."

"Bye."

When the two had hung up, Dee returned to the small group waiting for her.

"Who was that?" Elphaba asked, absentmindedly rubbing her belly.

"Sho. Told me she wouldn't be able to make dinner tonight, an old friend of hers showed up unexpectedly and wants to spend some time catching up. So it'll just be us." Elphaba nodded.

As the small group left, Dee and Taye shared a knowing smile, and laced hands.

"Are the girls working on it?" He whispered.

"Yep. Everything's going according to plan."


	58. Chapter 58

**Chapter 58.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: The apartment is bigger in the story than in actuality......**

**Thanks to Elphiethegood, lizziemagic, Elphaba1Fan, and -greenTARDISgirl- for reviewing 57.**

Over the next couple days, the girls continued to move Elphaba and Fiyero's things into the new apartment.

Ela and Yero had the master bedroom, and Laney's room was the third room, leaving the second bedroom, the one next to the master, for the new baby.

The old apartment hadn't really had any color scheme or theme, except for Laney's room, and now, the girls decided to really make the new apartment like home. So it was one afternoon during the first month of Elphaba's third trimester that the girls pulled Elphaba to a little diner in The Village. Once they were there, they ordered lunch and talked about the baby and how Laney was taking it.

"She's doing great."

"Does she know exactly where the baby is?" Megan asked, taking a sip of her iced tea. Elphaba chuckled.

"Yes, she knows that 'the baby is the reason Mommy's tummy is so big', is her reasoning." The younger woman told them, rolling her eyes.

"What's your favorite style?" Eden asked. "Just....curious." She said at Elphaba's odd look.

"Style?"

"Yeah, like.... floral, Art Deco, neoclassical, constructivism, cubism, futurism, modernism...."

"Modernism. Yero and I have taken a liking to modern/contemporary. Why?"

"Just curious." Megan said, glancing sideways as Eden quickly scribbled it down on the pad of paper. "So, um....what's Laney like?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"Right now, she loves the pink and green. Although I have _no idea why_." Sarcasm dripped from the expectant mother's voice, as she gently rubbed her belly. Giving her friend a smile, Dee reached out and gently patted Elphaba's belly.

"You nervous?" Elphaba shrugged.

"Kind of. Not as much as I was with Laney, but it's still scary."

"It always is." Stephanie said. "And it never gets any easier, no matter how many you have."

Elphaba had concieved in late June, but they'd found out in July. Elphaba was nervous, but excited. And Fiyero was estatic, that they were having another baby.

"Laney excited?" Sho asked.

"Mhmm. She's looking forward to the baby coming."

"Really? She's not jealous?"

Elphaba shook her head.

"No. Not right now anyway. She's been a big help these last few months. And she knows that with Mommy getting bigger, she's going to help out a lot more--until the baby's born, and then she'll help out with the baby. But.....she's looking forward to being a big sister."

Silence, before Eden opened her mouth.

"What will you do if you have twins?" Elphaba's eyes widened, and she gulped.

"Don't say that. I'm amazed I've been able to raise Laney without losing my sanity. I'd be sent to the nuthouse if I had twins." The younger woman said.

"Why did you ask that Ede?" Stephanie asked, one delicate eyebrow raised. Eden shrugged.

"She just looks.....slightly bigger than when she carried Laney. That's all." Gently, she patted Elphaba's belly.

"Every pregnancy is different. Remember when you had Nikki?" Eden rolled her eyes.

"I get it. And it's my opinion. I'm not saying I'm right, I'm just saying. Is that a crime?"

* * *

Later that night, Fiyero wrapped Elphaba in a gentle hug.

"You okay love?"

She nodded.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just tired."

Silence, then,

"You know Yero, Eden suggested the craziest idea today."

"Really?"

"Yeah. She suggested that I was carrying twins. Isn't that insane? Yero?"

She turned around, to see the startled look on her husband's face.

"Yero, honey, what's wrong?"

"T...._twins_?"

"Sweetie, say something."

"Twins?"

Sighing, Elphaba kissed his cheek.

"Come to bed darling."

As he slipped in beside her, and pressed a loving kiss on her lips, he asked,

"Eden was...joking right?"

She gave him a small smile, caressing his cheek before snuggling down in his arms. Absentmindedly, he patted his wife's round tummy, feeling her hand cover his.

"Of course she was darling. I'm not carrying twins. The doctor would have told us if I was."

"Good. I mean, not good that we're _not_ having.....good that...."

"I get it love. Now kiss me and go to sleep."


	59. Chapter 59

**Chapter 59.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Next chapter.......Ela and Yero's little surprise arrives! So get your votes in now! The pole closes tomorrow!**

"Mama?"

Elphaba looked up, to see Laney standing in front of her.

"What is it, baby?" She asked, setting the Gregory Maguire novel she was reading down. Laney climbed onto the sofa next to her and snuggled close.

"Mama, when's the baby coming out?" Elphaba's dark eyes glanced quickly around the room. Then, she sighed.

"Soon sweetie. Very, very, very soon. Next month actually."

"But how's the baby going to come out?"

Silence.

Oh boy.

"Um....well..... um......"

Laney waited patiently for her mother's explanation.

"Remember when Daddy and I told you about where babies come from?"

A nod.

"Well.....um.....this.....this is where babies come from."

"Your tummy?" Elphaba nodded.

"But why's the baby in there? Why won't it come out?" Laney asked, reaching out and laying a hand on her mother's belly.

"Because it's not time. The baby's not ready to come out yet."

"Oh." Then, Laney leaned over and gently placed a kiss on her mother's tummy. A camera flashed, and Elphaba looked up, to see her husband a few feet away, holding their camera.

"What was that for?" She asked. He settled next to his wife, and showed her the photograph.

"Aww. That's beautiful."

"It's perfect." He whispered, watching as his oldest daughter murmured to his wife's belly.

"Daddy! The baby moved!"

He chuckled, watching the smile light up his daughter's eyes.

"You think she'll do okay?" Elphaba whispered, as Fiyero took her hand, lacing their fingers.

"I think she'll do just fine, Ela. She'll do just fine."


	60. Chapter 60

**Chapter 60.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: It's time.....**

**Question: Are Glinda and Elphaba ever going to be friends again though?**

**Answer: maybe....**

**Question: twins!! is it, is it, is it?**

**Answer: read and see....**

**Thanks to Elphaba1Fan, -greenTARDISga-, ohmycarlisletwilight23, Satan's Spawn12, lizziemagic, and I'mEDWaRd'SlAtUaCaNtAnTe for reviewing 59. And to -greenTARDISgal- and lizziemagic for reviewing 58.**

"All right sweetie, ready for school?"

Laney nodded, as she picked up her backpack and brushed her hair off her shoulder.

"Are you coming with me, Mommy?" Elphaba shook her head, reaching out to smoot her daughter's hair, before resting her hands on her belly.

"Not today, baby girl."

"But Mommy! I want you to come--" Laney begged, wrapping her arms around her mother's legs.

"I can't sweetie. The baby's going to come soon and the doctor doesn't want me doing anything to tire myself out too quickly. I'm sorry sweetheart. But I promise, once the baby's here I'll walk with you to school again, I promise."

Laney pulled away, scowling.

"The baby's not nice. It's not sharing! Send it back, I don't want it!"

"Send what back?" Elphaba looked up, to see Sky standing behind her daughter. Since Elphaba's pregnancy had progressed, Sky had been dropping Laney off at preschool on her way to classes in the morning, and then picking her up after her classes were done. Finally, Laney turned around.

"Sky Sky!" She threw herself into Sky's arms, and then turned to Elphaba. "The baby."

"Well, why do you want to send the baby back, Lanes? I thought you liked the new baby."

A fierce shake of the head.

"No. It's not sharing Mommy! I don't want it!"

"Well, you're going to have to want it, because it's not going back. Daddy and I can't send the baby back, so you're going to have to get used to sharing me. And Daddy." Elphaba said, pressing her nose against her daughter's. "Now give me a kiss goodbye and be a good girl."

Laney pulled away.

"Laney--"

"What if the baby comes?"

"Then Daddy or Uncle Taye or Auntie Dee or Sky will come get you. Okay?" Slowly, she nodded. "Good, now can I have a kiss?"

Laney looked at her mother before kissing her gently on the lips.

"That's my good girl."

"You'll text me right? If the baby comes?" Elphaba nodded.

"And your parents also."

"Okay. Time to go Lanes. Or we'll be late." Sky said, turning to go.

"Be a good girl sweet pea." Yero said, kissing his daughter's forehead.

"Bye Daddy! Bye Mommy!"

* * *

Elphaba looked up from the book she was flipping through. They were staying with Dee and Taye so Elphaba could be watched closely. It was Sky's idea.

And, also so the girls could work on the new apartment.

"Hey Ela, how you doing? You okay?" Elphaba nodded.

"I'm fine Dee." The older woman gently patted her friend's hand, before going to the fridge and pulling out the orange juice carton. Her back turned, she didn't see Elphaba's squeeze her eyes tight, but she heard the younger woman cry out.

"Oh."

"Ela, you okay?" Elphaba looked up at her friend.

"I'm okay." A shaky breath, and another wince. Alarmed, Dee set her glass and the carton on the island counter, and went to her friend.

"Honey are your sure?"

"Yes. I'm fine."

Another wince.

"Are you having a contraction?"

Silence.

"_Ela, answer me!_ Are you contracting?" The younger woman bit her lip, and slowly nodded. "Okay. Now that I have a straight answer from you, let's get Yero and Taye, and we'll head down to the hospital. Okay?"

Elphaba nodded, before crying out.

"Yero! Taye! It's time!"

"Dee!" Idina looked back at Elphaba when the girl grabbed her arm.

"What is it, Ela? What's wrong?"

"My water broke."

* * *

Sky looked up at the clock, then glanced down at her cell.

ONE NEW TEXT

Licking her lips, she slid the phone under her desk, and flipped it open, pressing the button to open the message.

"Twenty minutes."

The girl jumped, at the sound of her professor's voice. She was already done with the test, now she was just reading, waiting for the others to finish. Checking to make sure her professor wasn't watching, she turned her eyes back to the text message.

Sky, it's Mom.

Ela's in labor, we'll meet you at the hospital. Pick up Laney and meet us at the hospital, okay?

See you soon, Skyler.

- Mom

With a snap, she closed her phone, put her book in her bag, and got up.

"Um, Nan?" Her professor looked up.

"Yes Sky?"

"Remember when I told you I'd have to leave early to pick up my niece?" A nod. "Well, my sister's in labor, and I need to pick her daughter up. They're at the hospital, and I have to watch my niece. So I really have to get going, and I swear I'll make everthing up---"

"Go ahead. And there's no homework tonight."

"Thank you!" As Sky raced to the door, her professor spoke up again.

"Sky!"

"Yeah?" She asked, turning back.

"Tell you sister congratulations."

"I will Nan. I will."

* * *

"Come in."

Sky slowly pushed the door open and poked her head in.

"Hello. We weren't expecting visitors today. But come on in."

"Hi. I'm here for Laney."

"And you are?" The teacher asked, coming up to shake Sky's hand.

"I'm--"

"Sky Sky!" The two women looked up, to see Laney rush towards the teen.

"Sky. Skyler. I'm Laney's---"

"She's my sissy." Laney interrupted, wrapping her arms around Sky's legs.

"I'm Laney's babysitter. Her parents are good friends of mine, and she thinks of me as a big sister."

"Oh that's wonderful. Um...is there a reason---"

"Sky Sky! Did the baby come yet?" Slowly, Sky knelt in front of Laney, and looked into her mossy eyes.

"Not yet. But Mommy's in the hospital. So that means the baby's going to be coming very, very, very soon. And Mommy wants to see you, she misses you."

"The baby's coming!" Laney cried, jumping into Sky's arms.

"I remember Mrs. Tipton saying that she was due this month. Last parent teacher conference. Go ahead. And tell Mr. and Mrs. Tipton congratulations for me." Her teacher said.

"I will. And thank you."

"Where are you going Laney?" One of her friends asked.

"Mommy's having the baby!"

Sky laughed.

"Is the baby here yet, Sky Sky?"

The teen rolled her eyes as she went to the door. The teacher gave her a small smile.

"Not yet Lanes. Not yet."


	61. Chapter 61

**Chatper 61.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: The polls are closed!**

**Thanks to ohmycarlisletwilight23 and Elphaba1Fan for reviewing 60.**

The contractions were getting stronger.

A knock sounded on the door, and Dee moved to open it. Sky stood on the other side of the door, Laney in her arms.

"Hey Mom. How's Ela?"

"Come on in, Sky. And you can ask her yourself. Ela, Sky and Laney are here."

Elphaba looked up from, tossing her head to remove the long, ebony strands sticking to her forehead. She took a deep breath, ducking her head as a contraction hit.

"Shh. Hush love. You're doing great." Fiyero whispered, rubbing his wife's back.

"Hi Mommy." Elphaba looked up, her dark eyes meeting her daughter's.

"Hey sweetie. How was school? Did Sky pick you up?" Laney nodded.

"What's wrong Mommy?" Laney asked, when Elphaba cried out, grabbing her tummy.

"The baby's coming, sweetheart." Fiyero told his daughter.

"You okay, Ela?"

"I'm as good as can be expected, Sky."

* * *

"Okay Ela, you're fully dialated. It's time to push." Dr. Hanson told her. Elphaba nodded.

Doctor Spencer Hanson had a double major in medicine and childbirth; she was a medical doctor but also a midwife, one of the best in Manhattan.

"Do you want me to take Lanes to the waiting room?" Sky asked. Dee nodded.

"It'd probably be best."

Sky nodded.

"Come on Lanes, let's go wait in the hall."

"No! I want to stay with Mommy!" Laney cried, moving towards her mother. Elphaba let out a scream, as she sat up. Yero was sitting behind her, rubbing her back. Slowly, Elphaba raised her head, and looked at her daughter.

"GET OUT!"

Laney's green eyes welled with tears, and she ran to Sky, burying her face in the girl's lap.

"Oh Lanes......you don't need to be in here. The last thing we need to do is look after you as the baby's being born.....Let's go in the waiting room. I'll read to you." Sky said, running her fingers through the little girl's hair.

"I.....stay.....Mommy." Sky sighed, and looked up at Dee.

"Let her stay. Just....keep her over there. The last thing we need is her hovering while her mother's giving birth." Dee whispered. Her daughter nodded, and scooped the girl up, going to one of the chairs and sitting in it, Laney in her arms.

"Hush Lanes. Hush."

"Aah! Get it out! Get the baby out! Please!" Elphaba screamed, pushing hard. Strands of her long black hair fell out of her ponytail, and her cheeks grew red with the effort of pushing.

"I need you to keep pushing, Ela. You're doing great." Dr. Hanson said. Elphaba did as told, feeling her baby's head leave her body. "The baby's crowning! Now keep pushing!"

"Crowning? Really?" Elphaba asked. The doctor nodded.

"She's got a head of beautiful black hair, Ela." Dee said, as Elphaba squeezed her hand.

"How do you know it's a girl?" Taye asked, as Elphaba squeezed his hand hard.

"I don't. I'm just guessing."

"Guessing?"

"Yes--"

"WOULD YOU TWO SHUT UP!" Elphaba screamed, pushing as she felt her child slide out of her.

"It's a girl!" Elphaba looked up.

"I told you!" Dee stated, as Laney looked up.

"Mommy?"

"A girl. We have another daughter. Oh Ela, I'm so proud of you!" Fiyero told his wife, kissing her temple. The doctor held a crying newborn, the cord still attached.

"Come cut the cord, Daddy." Dr. Hanson said. Yero did as told, before returning to his wife. As the nurse cleaned the baby off, Laney slipped off Sky's lap and went to her mother.

"Mommy?" Elphaba didn't notice her.

"A girl? Yero, we have another little....oh god!" She leaned forward, eyes closed tight, writhing in pain.

"Ela, what's wrong?" Dee asked, gripping her friend's hand.

"Oh god, what's happening?" Elphaba asked, taking a deep breath.

"Laney." Sky scooped the little girl into her arms.

"I have.....to....push!" Elphaba cried, as Dr. Hanson checked her.

"Again? Unless it's the placenta, you can't---" Dee started.

"It's not the placenta, Dee. It's something else--Aah!" Elphaba interrupted her, letting out a scream as she pushed. She bore down again, screaming. Finally,

"It's a boy!"

Elphaba collapsed in her husband's arms.

"A son? Yero....."

"Wait, you just had....._twins_?" Sky asked, paling.

Elphaba met the girl's eyes; she looked exhausted. Then, she nodded.

Gently, Fiyero removed himself, cut the cord, and then helped his wife to her feet and the bed. When Elphaba was settled, he sat next to her, and took her hand.

"You had a rough day, darling. You okay?" She nodded quietly, as he kissed her knuckles.

"Do you want to hold your daughter, Yero?" The two looked up, to see Dr. Hanson holding a bundle of pink blankets. Silent, Fiyero took his newborn daughter in his arms, and looked down at the baby, tears clouding his vision.

"She's gorgeous." He whispered, gently rubbing his thumb against his baby girl's tiny hand. She looked at her father with dark, chocolate eyes. Her mother's eyes.

"Here you go, Ela." He looked up, to see Dr. Hanson laying their son in his wife's arms.

"We have a son." She murmured, as Dee and Taye moved near them.

"Laney, do you want to meet your new baby brother and sister?" Elphaba asked, as Sky brought the little girl to the bed.

"Two babies?" Laney asked, leaning close to look at the babies. Elphaba nodded.

"Your brother and sister." Fiyero said.

"What are their names?" Dee asked. Elphaba and Fiyero looked at each other.

"Um...." Elphaba thought a moment, then she looked down at her son. "Spencer. Spencer Nathaniel."

"Spencer?" Sky asked. Elphaba nodded. "And your little girl?"

"Aria. Aria Emily." Fiyero said.

"Aria Emily?" Dee asked. The young coupe nodded.

"Well, what do you think, Lanes?" Sky asked, before the little girl buried her face in the teen's shoulder.

"Is that a yes or a no?" Elphaba asked.

"I have no idea." Sky said.

A knock sounded, and soon, the girls poked their heads in.

"Hey. Are visitors allowed?" Megan asked.

"Come on in." Fiyero said. Slowly, the girls came in, gathering around the bed. Eden looked from Fiyero to Elphaba and back.

"You had twins! I knew it! I knew it!" She turned to Stephanie. "I _told_ you!"

The other woman rolled her eyes.

"What are their names?" Sho asked.

"This is Aria and Ela's holding Spencer." Fiyero said, nodding to his wife.

"Oh. That's so cute. Could I?" Gently, Yero laid his daughter in Sho's arms, and settled next to his wife. It was then that Laney climbed from Sky's arms into Fiyero's lap.

"They're beautiful." Sho whispered, as the girls gathered around.

"So, are you exhausted?" Eden asked, proud that her prediction had come true.

"I just delivered twins _vaginally_, Ede. What do you think?" Elphaba asked, laying Aria gently in Taye's arms and snuggling into her husband's arms.

"Yes, well, you did great." Dee told her.

"But can Yero and I really handle twins? I mean, we have Laney's crib, but we'd need another one. Double of everything, plus another room. And we can't afford it." Elphaba said, biting her lip.

The girls looked at each other, sharing secret smiles.

"Are you really sure about that?" Eden asked. Elphaba furrowed her brow.

"I don't--"

"I want you to stay the night, Ela, and then you and the twins can go home tomorrow. Okay?" Dr. Hanson interrupted. Elphaba nodded, as Sho laid her daughter in Elphaba's arms.

* * *

The next day, Elphaba stepped out of the taxi in front of Dee's home.

"Oh no, get back in the cab."

"Dee, what--"

"Back in, now."

She did as told, and allowed Dee to crawl in after her, before directing the driver to Chelsea. When they finally got out, Elphaba turned to Dee, Aria in her arms.

"Why did you drag Yero and I all the way to Chelsea?"

"Because, your new apartment is here."

Elphaba and Fiyero looked at each other.

"New apartment?" Came the unison reply. Dee nodded, and led the young couple up three flights of stairs. Finally, she unlocked the door, and stepped inside, Yero and Ela following. As soon as they stepped inside, the others came out of their hiding places, surprising the young couple.

"Oh my god." Elphaba looked at Dee. "How did you--"

"I told the girls about the apartment problems you were having, and so, we got together, pitched in, and rented this apartment for you." Dee said.

"But---"

"You need a new place. You can't raise three children in a two bedroom apartment. But you can in a three bedroom one. And it'd be better if the twins shared a room the first year or so anyway. That way you don't worry. Now come on."

They showed the young parents through their new apartment, and then surprised them with dinner in their new place. The apartment was very contemparary, modern with a side of Broadway, and there was everything they needed for Laney and the twins. After Elphaba and Yero laid the twins down in thier cribs, they went to get Laney for dinner, to find her curled up in the chair Sky had picked out for her, asleep.

"Laney. Sweetie wake up. Dinner's ready." Elphaba whispered, kneeling next to her daughter. The little girl slowly woke up, turning her sleepy eyes to her mother. "You hungry, sweetie?" A slow nod.

Silent, Fiyero came over, and scooped his oldest into his arms, before the two left the room.

"So, are the twins asleep?" Eden asked.

"Oh give it a rest, Ede. You all ready proved you were right, you can quit gloating." Stephanie said. Eden looked at her.

"I'm never right about anything. So I'm gloating about the fact that I'm right for once." She replied. Stephanie shook her head.

"So, who's ready for Chinese?" Dee asked, breaking into the arguement as she set down the cartons.

The conversation turned as the group settled down for dinner.


	62. Chapter 62

**Chapter 62.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Question: How is Laney taking it all in?**

**Answer: She's dealing. She knows Mama was in pain, and that the baby was coming, but it's still a shock. I mean, come on, she's a big sister.....to _twins_....**

**Thanks to lizziemagic, Elphaba1Fan, Elphiethegood, ohmycarlisletwilight23, and ghostly bender for reviewing 61. And to lizziemagic for reviewing 60 also.**

The first few months were horrendous.

As with most newborns, they needed to be fed and cared for, even in the middle of the night.

So it was one afternoon, a year after the twins were born that Elphaba opened the door, revealing Dee, Eden, Stephanie, and the girls.

"Hey! How are you?" Elphaba asked, hugging them each in turn. "Come in."

"Good. And how are things with the twins?" Eden asked, sitting on the sofa.

".....great. They're doing great." Elphaba said. "Excuse me for a moment." The girls nodded, and Elphaba dashed to the twins' room. They heard Elphaba's voice, and then saw her emerge with one of the twins in her arms. "Hey. Look who's here, Spence."

"Spencer? He's gotten so big! How old is he?" Megan asked.

"A year. They both are...." She turned back, hearing Aria crying. "Stephanie, would you hold Spence for me for a moment? I'll be right back." Stephanie nodded, and accepted the little boy in her arms before Elphaba dashed off to get his sister. She came back ten minutes later, Aria in her arms. By then, the girls had settled in the living room, all of them crooning over Elphaba's baby boy.

"They're darlings, Ela." Eden said, looking up as Elphaba settled in one of the armchairs, Aria in her arms.

It was true.

Spencer had a head of thick, sandy hair, and deep blue eyes. Aria, meanwhile, had short, chin length black hair, and brown eyes, with the same pearl skin as her brother and older sister. The two were exceptionally close to Laney, who was starting to feel slightly jealous. It was to be expected; she just turned five in May, after the twins had turned one.

Give her a break, she's a little girl.

"So, how have things been going with you? How have you and Yero been? I mean, you're keeping up with year old twins as well as a five-year-old, that has to be tiring." Sho said, as Aria climbed down from her mother's lap.

"It's been.....tiring. But rewarding.....Ari, what are you doing? Ari! NO! _Put. That. Down_! Now! No! Ari! Excuse me for a minute." The girls watched as Elphaba got up, and raced towards the kitchen. Twenty minutes passed, before Elphaba came back, Aria in her arms. "That's the problem. These two spend more time getting into trouble than not. Don't'cha?" Elphaba asked, tickling her daughter. The baby giggled.

* * *

"Ela? What do you want for dinner? Because--"

Fiyero stopped in the doorway, Laney in tow, to see the girls sitting in the living room, chatting with her.

"Oh. Hey girls. What's up?"

"Hey Yero. Um, nothing much. Just, figured we'd drop by and see how you were doing." Megan said, as Spencer climbed down and went to Laney.

"That's good."

"Oh, I'm sorry, sweetheart. Do you need me to get the rest of the groceries?" Yero had picked up Laney from school and then picked up some things at the store.

"I got them. This is it." As he took everything to the kitchen, he asked, "So, are you staying for dinner girls?"

"Thanks for the invite, Yero, but I can't."

"Sebastion and I are meeting some friends of ours."

"My hubby's taking me out to dinner."

"Yep."

The others looked back at Dee. She glanced at everyone.

"What?"

Fiyero rolled his eyes, as Elphaba set Aria down, who moved to Stephanie. Then, the young mother went to the kitchen, and poured a glass of iced tea.

"You can stay for dinner, Dee. Just let Taye and Sky know." She said, taking a sip of her tea, before setting the glass on the counter.

"I will." Elphaba nodded, watching as her husband put the groceries away. When he'd finished, he wrapped his arms around his wife, and kissed her temple.

* * *

Glinda looked around.

She had everything packed, everything ready to go. She had quit her job on Friday, and paid the rent for that month. Everything was in order.

This was it, she was going back. She didn't belong in New York; she felt more out of place here, than Elphie did in Oz.

Elphie was right.

_She_ belonged here. She and Yero had made a life for themselves, they were happy, accepted, _loved _here. They had a little girl, a family. Glinda, had nothing. She had more in Oz than she did here.

And she was going back.

Softly, she whispered their names, to see a young couple curled up asleep in each other's arms. Sighing, she turned to the mirror, and watched the glass turn to liquid. Gently, she squeezed the necklace.

"I hope you're happy, Elphie."

And with a deep breath, she stepped into the portal, and returned to Oz.

* * *

Later that night, after dinner, when Dee, Taye and Sky had left, Elphaba slipped into bed next to her husband.

"I love you." She whispered, kissing his shoulder as she sat behind him. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, and she started nibbling gently on his neck, smiling at the groan that escaped her husband's throat. With one quick turn, Fiyero had Elphaba pinned beneath him, the hem of her nightgown bunched up around her thighs, revealing the soft pearl flesh of her upper calves.

His hands roamed her body, the tips of his fingers gently grazing her thighs, as he pushed the nightgown up her body. His lips found her collarbone, and proceeded to suck on it, causing a moan of pleasure to flee his wife's vocal chords.

"Oh Yero......."

"I love you, Ela." He whispered, pulling away. Then, he lay next to her, spooning his body against hers, his hands running gently up her side, pulling the nightgown as he went. She looked at him over her shoulder, her eyes locking on his blue ones.

"Yero, do you really love me? Is all this real? Are we really in New York? Are we really famous actors? Are we really married? Do we really have three beautiful children sleeping in the rooms next door? Is this all real, or is a dream? Yero?"

He had fallen asleep to the steady rhythm of her voice, and she now turned in his arms, snuggling close.

"I love you, Yero."

Softly, quietly, he whispered just loud enough for her to hear.

"I love you, Ela. I love you."


	63. Chapter 63

**Chapter 63. **

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N:Sorry this chapter is so short.**

Glinda sat up.

She was back in her room in the palace, in her bed. Confused, she got out of bed, and wandered around, checking everything before moving to the mirror at her vanity. Reaching up, she absentmindedly rubbed the middle stone of Elphaba's necklace.

"Oh Elphaba. I miss you. Both you and Fiyero."

The glass cleared- but not the stone- the glass in her vanity.

Slowly, she leaned forward, seeing the same young couple sitting with the group of friends they were always with.

"Sho! It's about time you showed up!"

The older brunette that had confronted Glinda that night hurried up tp them.

"Sorry we're late." Sho said, a man with her. Sho and Wiliam Hanson, a fellow actor, had eloped to Maine six weeks earlier. "We......had an unexpected doctor's appointment."

"Doctor's appointment? Sho, are you sick?" Sky asked, as Aria climbed down from her lap.

"So, did the lyme parasite that transplanted itself in your brain finally rear it's ugly head?" Dee joked. Sho glared at her.

"No. Not that type of parasite."

The others looked clueless for a few minutes, before Dee and Ela looked at each other.

It weas then that Glinda turned from the mirror.

* * *

_"Shoshana Bean! You're not! Are you?"_ Elphaba cried.

The smile on Sho's face said it all.

_"You're pregnant?"_ Megan cried, finally understanding.

_"Oh my god! About time!"_

_"Finally!"_

_"When are you due?"_

"May." Sho said, pulling out an ultrasound and showing the group.

"Oh congrats Sho." Elphaba said, hugging her friend.

Life felt perfect.


	64. Chapter 64

**Chapter 64.**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Alas, parting is such sweet sorrow...**

**Question: is this the last we'll see of her (Glinda)?**

**Answer: Oh we'll see more of her, just not in New York...**

**Thanks to Elphiethegood and -greenTARDISgal- for reviewing 62.**

Six years passed.

Laney was nine now, a fourth grader, active in dance and children's theater. Aria and Spencer were now six, and in first grade. They kept Ela and Yero on their toes constantly, when the two weren't on Broadway. Sho and Will had had a daughter, Hanna, who was now five. And Sky had gotten her AA in directing, and was now working on her BFA. She still spent time with Ela and Yero, but also spent time with her boyfriend, Kevin Jacks, a dancer getting his BFA at NYU.

Now, Ela and Yero were snuggled on the sofa in the living room of their apartment, watching their children play. They had moved from Chelsea to a nice three story apartment in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Not because they didn't want to live in Chelsea, but because their little family had added another member; not long after the twins turned two, Elphaba and Fiyero announced that they were having another baby. Their son, Jason, was born in November. He was now three, and looked like his father, except for his mother's dark eyes.

She sighed, and got up, giving her husband a quick kiss, before going into the kitchen. She poured two cups of tea, and then grabbed a plate of gingersnaps, before returning to the living room and setting the plate on the coffee table. When she plopped back on the sofa next to her husband, she held his cup out to him.

"I could have gotten it myself, love."

"No problem." She said, taking a sip from hers.

"Well thank you, love."

"You're welcome." She replied, a smile on her lips. Then, she leaned over and gently grazed her lips against his, before leaning over and grabbing a gingersnap.

"Are you happy, Mrs. Tipton?"

Elphaba finished her cookie, and turned, leaning into him, her head resting on his chest.

"Truly, Mr. Tipton." She replied, lacing her fingers through her husband's.

"Mommy! Can I have a sandwich, please?" Laney asked, coming over and tugging gently on her mother's shirt. Elphaba turned her dark eyes to her little girl's mossy ones.

"Sure baby. Do you want Daddy or I to make it?" Laney shook her head, her long, black plait swinging.

"I can make it, Mommy."

"All right, baby. Let us know if you need help." Laney nodded, rushing off to make her sandwich.

Fiyero chuckled, watching his oldest rush to the kitchen.

"What's so funny?" Ela asked, sitting up and turning to him.

"Nothing. I just..." He looked over at his wife. "Can't believe how grown up she's become." He shifted, setting his cup on the table and pulling her into his arms. "I mean... I remember when you were pregnant with her, when you told me we were pregnant."

"Not the best reaction." Elphaba said, giving him a smile. He blushed, nodding.

"I know. And I'm sorry about that. I should have acted better."

"Don't be. It was nine years ago... we were young... unsure that we were doing the right thing, living in New York. We were just starting our life together, and... Laney's conception was... a _big_ surprise to say the least." Elphaba said, chuckling. Fiyero nodded.

"And then, nine months after we conceived, she was born. And she was absolutely gorgeous. Just the fact that she has _our_ DNA flowing in her bloodstream is... astounding." Elphaba propped her elbow on the back of the sofa, then rested her temple gently against her knuckles and stared at her husband.

"Really?" She asked, eyebrows raised. "What's so astounding about it? It's simply a combining of our DNA chromosomes by the process of fertilization of an egg by sperm, which later splits and multiplies into thousands of other cells, that later turns from an embryo into a fetus. The fetus then continues to grow and take the shape of a small human being, acquiring the internal organs that will help it survive outside the womb. And when it's time for the fetus to finally _leave_ the womb, the cervix goes through contractions which brings forth dialation so that the vaginal opening is big enough for the fetus to exit the-"

"_I get it,_ Ela. I know how that happens. I was there when our children were born, remember?" Fiyero interrupted his wife, rolling his eyes in a perfect imitation of the woman by his side. Elphaba smiled, nodding. "I delivered our last child."

"I remember." She said, turning to watch her youngest play with his older brother and sister.

Jason had been born at home, an unplanned homebirth. Elphaba had gone into labor early on November 20th, and without realizing it, had fully dialated by Thanksgiving night on the 22nd. By the time Elphaba had realized it, the baby was almost here, and so Fiyero had had to deliver his son. Jason Maxwell, had been their little Thanksgiving surprise, and everyone doted on him. He wasn't only the baby of the family, but he was the youngest charmer on Broadway.

Finally, Ela settled down in her husband's arms, playing absent-mindedly with his fingers, gently twisting his wedding ring.

"Yero?" She tilted her head back, looking into his eyes.

"Yes, Mrs. Tipton?"

She smiled at the way he used her marital name.

"Do you really love me?"

"Of course I love you. Why wouldn't I?"

She didn't answer, just sat up and turned to him, settling in her husband's lap, their faces inches apart. A gentle kiss. Then, her husband pulled away, and helped her up, before going to the children. Jason and the twins had fallen asleep; only Laney was still awake; the little girl had disappeared upstairs to her room on the third floor. Yero knelt down and scooped up Aria, before putting her to bed. Then, he returned and picked up Jason, as Ela followed, leading a sleepy Spencer by the hand. Once the younger children were in bed, the two parents went up the spiral staircase to their oldest child's room.

Laney was sitting on the window seat, a book in her lap. Asleep. Giving his wife a small smile, Yero went over and closed the book, scooped his daughter into his arms, and laid her in bed, pulling the covers to her chin and kissing her forehead, before allowing Ela to do the same. She brushed a stray strand of ebony hair off her daughter's cheek and pulled away. As the two moved to the door,

"Mommy? Daddy?"

They turned back at the soft whisper.

"What is it, baby girl?" Ela asked, looking up at her husband.

"I love you."

A smile came to her mother's face, and she squeezed her husband's hand.

"We love you too, baby girl. Now get some sleep. It's late."

And with a soft click, they headed down the stairs to the master bedroom.

As they climbed under the covers, Ela turned to her husband, asking,

"Is all this real? Are we _really_ in New York? Are we _really_ famous actors?"

She played with her husband's wedding ring again, before gently kissing his knuckles and snuggling in his arms.

"Are we _really_ even married?"

He didn't say anything, just cupped her face in his hand and planted a gentle kiss on his wife's lips. She pulled away, the question on the tip of her tongue.

"Do we really have four beautiful children sleeping in the rooms around us?"

She pulled away, and reached up, brushing her fingers against his forehead.

"Is this all real, or is a dream? Yero, am I dreaming? Am I... still back in Oz? At Shiz? In Kiamo Ko? Am I still green? Is this all some crazy, wild dream my deprived, starving mind is thinking up out of desparation to have a happy ending for once in my life? _Yero_, _am I even still alive_?"

He held her face in his hands now, wiped the tears falling from her eyes off her cheeks. In a soft whisper, he replied,

"You're not dreaming, love. You're not in Oz, you're not back at Shiz, you're not in Kiamo Ko. And you're not green. This is not some wild fantasy your mind has created. This is real. Very real. Our marriage is real. Those four gorgeous children sleeping in the rooms next door are real. We are really famous actors, we _really_ live in New York, we _really_ have this life."

His forehead pressed against hers, and he watched the tears trickle down her cheeks and over his fingers.

"Shh. Shh. Why are you crying, my love?"

She sniffled, wiping her nose.

"Because none of this feels real."

She snuggled into his arms, pressing her head against his shoulder, her arms wrapped tight around him, her shoulders shaking with gentle sobs. He gently placed kisses in her hair, as his hands rubbed her back, and tangled in her long ebony locks.

"I love you, Yero."

Gently, he pressed a kiss to the spot just below her ear, and whispered,

"I love you, Ela. I love you."

And Yero was right, their perfect little life, their wonderful little world, was real.

Perfectly, wonderfully, _Wickedly._

Real.


End file.
